Page 204 - S. Ličen, I. Karnjuš, & M. Prosen (Eds.). (2019). Women, migrations and health: Ensuring transcultural healthcare. Koper, University of Primorska Press.
P. 204
Polona Mivšek, Nastja Pavel, Mateja Kusterle, and Petra Petročnik
While most citizens feel that access to compulsory and supplementary health
insurance is self-evident, non-nationals of Slovenia must fulfil certain con-
ditions defined in the Law on Health Care and Health Insurance Act¹. At the
same time, Slovene legislation (Article 7 of the Law on Health Care and Health
Insurance Act) enables urgent treatment to persons of unknown residence
and foreigners from countries which Slovenia has not signed international
treaties with. Emergency treatment includes urgent health services for re-
covery and preservation of life and prevention of deterioration of the health
condition of the diseased or injured (Article 25); childbirth also fits into that
category. According to the International Protection Act,² applicants for in-
ternational protection (asylum) also have the right to emergency treatment,
including emergency medical assistance and emergency rescue, emergency
dental care and emergency treatment prescribed by a treating physician.
Juvenile persons who are applying for international protection are entitled
to healthcare under the same conditions as the nationals of Slovenia. Vul-
nerable people with special needs have the right to an additional amount
of health services, including psychotherapy. In addition to emergency treat-
ment, female applicants for international protection have the right to health-
care for women, including contraceptives, termination of pregnancy and
medical care during pregnancy and childbirth. Persons without health insur-
ance can also seek medical assistance in the ‘Pro Bono’ Clinic with a coun-
selling service set up to help people without permanent residence and basic
health insurance, as well as foreigners, refugees and applicants for interna-
tional protection who need different forms of assistance but do not have the
right to additional health insurance (see pro-bono.ordinacija.net). The clinic
also provides healthcare and counselling to pregnant women.
In the past, a negative attitude towards immigrants was sometimes present
among Slovene citizens since some believed that the Slovene space was cul-
turally homogeneous. Immigrants were sometimes treated as undesirable
with some degree of intolerance and even discrimination (Kulovec, 2012). To-
day, the Slovene society is much more adaptable to the needs of immigrants,
since successful integration into the Slovene society is not only a responsi-
bility of immigrants but also a responsibility of the entire society.³ Health
professionals are by professional conduct and code of ethics obliged to pro-
¹ Zakon o zdravstvenem varstvu in zdravstvenem zavarovanju, see http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/
pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO213.
² Zakon o mednarodni zaščiti, see http://pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO7103.
³ See http://www.mnz.gov.si.
202
While most citizens feel that access to compulsory and supplementary health
insurance is self-evident, non-nationals of Slovenia must fulfil certain con-
ditions defined in the Law on Health Care and Health Insurance Act¹. At the
same time, Slovene legislation (Article 7 of the Law on Health Care and Health
Insurance Act) enables urgent treatment to persons of unknown residence
and foreigners from countries which Slovenia has not signed international
treaties with. Emergency treatment includes urgent health services for re-
covery and preservation of life and prevention of deterioration of the health
condition of the diseased or injured (Article 25); childbirth also fits into that
category. According to the International Protection Act,² applicants for in-
ternational protection (asylum) also have the right to emergency treatment,
including emergency medical assistance and emergency rescue, emergency
dental care and emergency treatment prescribed by a treating physician.
Juvenile persons who are applying for international protection are entitled
to healthcare under the same conditions as the nationals of Slovenia. Vul-
nerable people with special needs have the right to an additional amount
of health services, including psychotherapy. In addition to emergency treat-
ment, female applicants for international protection have the right to health-
care for women, including contraceptives, termination of pregnancy and
medical care during pregnancy and childbirth. Persons without health insur-
ance can also seek medical assistance in the ‘Pro Bono’ Clinic with a coun-
selling service set up to help people without permanent residence and basic
health insurance, as well as foreigners, refugees and applicants for interna-
tional protection who need different forms of assistance but do not have the
right to additional health insurance (see pro-bono.ordinacija.net). The clinic
also provides healthcare and counselling to pregnant women.
In the past, a negative attitude towards immigrants was sometimes present
among Slovene citizens since some believed that the Slovene space was cul-
turally homogeneous. Immigrants were sometimes treated as undesirable
with some degree of intolerance and even discrimination (Kulovec, 2012). To-
day, the Slovene society is much more adaptable to the needs of immigrants,
since successful integration into the Slovene society is not only a responsi-
bility of immigrants but also a responsibility of the entire society.³ Health
professionals are by professional conduct and code of ethics obliged to pro-
¹ Zakon o zdravstvenem varstvu in zdravstvenem zavarovanju, see http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/
pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO213.
² Zakon o mednarodni zaščiti, see http://pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO7103.
³ See http://www.mnz.gov.si.
202
