National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia / Activities / Activity details
Monday, 12 August 2013
17th Sitting of the Health and Family Committee
At the sitting held on 12 August, the Health and Family Committee reviewed the Information concerning the replacement of health insurance cards.
The representatives of the Republic Health Insurance Fund explained that the replacement of health insurance cards was being conducted in accordance with the Information Society Development Strategy in the Republic of Serbia, Health Insurance Law and the Decision on launching the health insurance document replacement project. They also emphasised the advantages of introducing the electronic health insurance card which would enable the automatisation of the validation process, extend the cards’ expiry date to 10 years, as well as result in massive savings listing for example that every year the Republic Health Insurance Fund uses about 6.5 million validation stamps with its total expenses for the replacement of paper-based health insurance cards (about 2.2 million health insurance cards on a yearly basis) and stamps amounting to 45 million RSD a year. The introduction of electronic health insurance cards would eliminate these costs, stressed the representatives of the Republic Health Insurance Fund.
In the ensuing debate, the Committee members shared their views on the replacement of health insurance cards debating whether all the technical requirements for the replacement have been met, and drawing attention to the dilemma of whether the introduction of electronic health insurance cards is a priority for the health care system at present and whether the citizens can afford the 500 RSD needed for the replacement.
Following the debate, the assembly was addressed by Minister of Health Slavica Djukic Dejanovic who stressed that the law must be followed, but that for the majority of Serbian citizens the replacement is not financially feasible, appealing to the MPs for a compromise solution and suggesting that the deadline for the replacement of health insurance cards be extended to 2016/2017 and that socially endangered citizens be issued free electronic health insurance cards.
In addition to the Committee members, representatives of the Republic Health Insurance Fund headed by the Director, Prof. Dr Momcilo Babic, Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection Rodoljub Sabic, President of the Serbian Medical Society Prof. Dr Radoje Colakovic, President of the Ethics Committee Dr Paja Momcilov, President of the Union of Serbian Physicians and Pharmacists Executive Board Prim. Dr Nevenka Dimitrijevic, President of the Association for the Protection of the Right to Health “Zdravlje” Miroslav Petrovic and representative of the Hunter Syndrome Association Marija Joldic, also took part in the debate.
The sitting was chaired by Prof. Dr Dusan Milisavljevic, Committee Chairman.
Committees related to this activity
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9.00 - sitting of the Committee on Spatial Planning, Transport, Infrastructure and Telecommunications (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 3)
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9.20 - press conference of the NEW DSS – POKS (NADA) Parliamentary Group (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Central Hall)
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9.30 - sitting of the European Integration Committee (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 4)
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9.30 - sitting of the Defence and Internal Affairs Committee (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 2)
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10.00 - press conference of the Ecological Uprising Parliamentary Group (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Central Hall)
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10.30 - sitting of the Foreign Affairs Committee (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 4)
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12.00 - public hearing of the Culture and Information Committee on the topic: Public interview with the proposed candidates for Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media Council members (National Assembly Building, 14 Kralja Milana Street, Small Hall)
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15.00 - sitting of the Culture and Information Committee (National Assembly Building, 14 Kralja Milana Street, Small Hall)
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15.30 - the PFG with Italy, the Holy See and the Sovereign Order of Malta meets with the Italian delegation to the Central European Initiative Parliamentary Dimension (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 3)
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16.00 - the National Assembly Speaker meets with the Head of the EU Delegation to receive the EC Report on Serbia’s Progress in 2025 (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 1)
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16.20 - press statements on the delivered EC Report on Serbia’s Progress in 2025 (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Central Hall)
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17.00 - press conference of the Green-Left Front – Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own and Movement of Free Citizens (PSG) – Party of Democratic Action of Sandzak (SDA Sandzak) – Party for Democratic Action (PDD) parliamentary groups (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Central Hall)