Web-economic-crisis-health-systems-and-health-web

Montenegro
Ratka Knežević
Economic trends
• After an above-average contraction of real per capita GDP in 2009,
Montenegro experienced modest growth in 2010 and 2011.
• The unemployment rate, already high prior to the crisis, remained well
above the European mean through 2011.
• Public per capita health expenditure decreased sharply in 2010 by 11.0%,
while private expenditure growth accelerated. However, the increase in
private expenditure was not large enough to offset the decrease in public
expenditure (Montenegro: Fig. 1).
• Montenegro Fig 2 gives the trends in per capita spending on health.
Policy responses
Changes to public funding for the health system
• Since 2010, the Ministry of Finance has set a budget for health to control
spending.
• A planned decrease in the SHI contribution rate from 13.5% in 2007
to 9% of the gross salary of the employee in 2010 was scaled down to to
12.3% in 2010.
• The SHI contribute rate for pensioners was cut from 19% to 1% (2010).
• SHI spending fell in 2011 and in 2012 remained below the 2010 level.
• The overall SHI contribution rate was increased from 32% to 33.8%,
with the employer share falling from 14.5% to 9.8% and the employee
share rising from 17.5% to 24% (2010).
• Taxes on tobacco and tobacco products were increased (2011 and 2012).
Changes to health coverage
Population (entitlement)
• No response reported.
The benefits package
• Coverage expanded for children and students under 26 years, patients with
mental health problems and other chronic conditions (2008).
• Access to publicly financed dental care expanded (2012).