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

Slovenia
Tit Albreht, Eva Turk and Valentina Prevolnik-Rupel
Economic trends
• Slovenia's real per capita GDP contracted in 2009 and 2010, and
although positive, its 2011 growth remained in the bottom quintile of
the European region. Budget deficits in 2009, 2010 and 2011 were well
above the average annual deficit for Slovenia in the pre-crisis period.
• The unemployment rate peaked in 2010 at 14.4%.
• Ten-year bond rates remained below the European region mean between
2008 and 2011.
• While the health share of government spending decreased after 2008,
it is still close to the European mean. Public spending per capita on
health decreased in 2010 by 4.1%. OOP expenditure slowed in 2010 but
continued to have positive growth through 2011 (Slovenia: Figs 1 and 2).
Policy responses
Changes to public funding for the health system
• The Ministry of Health budget fell between 2008 and 2011, as did
municipality spending on health, leading to a decline in capital investment.
• SHI took steps to improve revenue collection through more intensive
cooperation with the tax administration and extending social security
contributions to new groups (e.g. self-employed entrepreneurs and
corporate partners) (2009).
• SHI revenues fell because of higher unemployment and SHI reserves
were depleted between 2008 and 2011; SHI experienced a small deficit
in 2010 in spite of making substantial savings through improved revenue
collection in 2009 and 2010.
• The deficit persisted in 2011 and was expected to increase to almost
€100 million in 2012 because of lower employment and a reduced
possibility of levying contributions on other sources of income, but cuts
to pharmaceutical prices lowered the deficit to around €56 million.
• The government introduced legislation to control public spending (2012).
• Plans to extend the levy base for SHI contributions from wages to all
income remain controversial and are unlikely to be accepted by small