Adopted the Law on Healthcare
On 03. April, 2019, the National Assembly of the Republic of the Serbia adopted the Law on Healthcare (“Law”), published in the Official Gazette No. 25/2019 dated 03 April, 2019, effective eight days after publishing in the Official Gazette, on 11 April, 2019.
The new Law regulates the healthcare system, its organization, general healthcare interests, supervision over the implementation of the Law, and other issues of relevance to this area. In addition to the citizens of the Republic of Serbia, the right to healthcare is also provided to foreign citizens and stateless persons with approved permanent stay, temporary stay or persons who only pass through the territory of the Republic of Serbia. The Law prescribes that an individual is obliged to respond to the call for targeted preventive screening, as part of the social care for the health of the population. Special screening programs are carried out by the Institute for public health. The Law has introduced preventive examination as general healthcare interest and as such are financed from the funds of the National Health Insurance Fund. As one of the principles of the Law, the principle of respecting human rights and values was introduced. The Law also simplified requirements for private healthcare institutions as well as private practices. The provisions on the integrated healthcare information system have been improved, creating the basis for the development of the system. The integrated healthcare information system is important because its aim is to effectively manage the healthcare system, but to also collect and process data related to the health condition of the population.
The main reason for the adoption of the Law was the need to regulate this area in more detailed way, but to also align the Law with the changed socio economic relations and innovations in the healthcare system, in comparison with 2005, when previous Law on Healthcare was adopted.
Considering that more than a decade has passed since the previous law was adopted there were a number of issues and problems that the legislator responded to by passing the new Law. The objective of the Law is to improve the quality of health care services, as well as safer healthcare services. Provisions of the Law are harmonized with the provisions of the Law on Medical Insurance.