The Republika Srpska (RS) Health Insurance Fund has made it possible for all citizens who were left without the right to health care after the end of the state of emergency in that entity to have health insurance from yesterday, and for the next 60 days. Employers are invited to use the transition period to settle the obligations.
Citizens who were left without insurance after the lifting of the state of emergency will be able to use health services until July 31st of this year. Until then, the transition period, which was given by the Health Insurance Fund on the recommendation of the Government of RS, will last with the aim of employers who have not paid contributions to settle their overdue obligations to the Fund, and citizens to regulate their status if they have not done so so far.
“What is very important is to send a message that this decision does not mean that employers do not have to fulfill their obligations. On the contrary, this is a 60-day deadline for employers to check the true state of affairs in the tax administration of RS and to settle their obligations so that the workers do not suffer,” emphasized Darija Filipovic, spokesperson for the Health Insurance Fund.
After the lifting of the state of emergency in the RS, around 48,000 workers remained without insurance. It is absurd that healthcare institutions are among the biggest debtors. The largest health center in RS states that they are looking for ways to resolve the obligations, stating that the debt arose from an earlier period, and that since 2018, contributions have been paid regularly.
The University Clinical Center of the RS has initiated appropriate procedures for the write-off, i.e. the reprogramming of the tax debt (taxes and contributions until February 28th, 2017), after which all workers will have the right to health insurance. The decision on the transition period was made on the recommendation of the Government of RS, because after the lifting of the state of emergency, it turned out that around 15% of workers remained without insurance.
“At the proposal of President Viskovic, the government only provided an ‘overpass‘ to give a period of 60 days until July 31stso that citizens could solve the issue of health insurance and so that they would not get into an unfavorable situation when they go to a health facility,” said Alen Seranic, minister of health of the RS.
In the previous three years, during the state of emergency, the Health Insurance Fund financed health care for uninsured citizens, for which 150 million BAM were allocated.
E.Dz.
