In Slovenian public healthcare system, patient rights and co-payments in dental care
are key topics. The country has faced longstanding challenges in public healthcare.
The thesis aims to present Slovenia’s public health care system, patients rights with
a focus on dental care, compare these rights with those in Germany, and examine the
costs of co-payments for selected dental services. Patient rights in dental care were
examined and described using the legal analysis method and the description of
legislation and secondary legal sources. A comparative method was then used to
compare patient rights in public dental care between Slovenia and Germany. The
analysis of data from dental service providers for the final research question revealed
that the prices and co-payments for dental services vary across Slovenian regions by
several tens of euros.
It was found that the patients Rights Act significantly increased patient rights in public
healthcare and dental care in Slovenia. Patients in public dental care have the right for
certain basic services, like emergency dental treatment, dental disease treatment and
some preventive services. However, the system covers only a limited range of
procedures, requiring patients to pay additional costs for many. The comparison of
dental rights with Germany revealed that while the rights are quite similar. But Germany
has a more structured financing system. The research also showed that the issue of
dental co-payments remains problematic, as the current funding model is inadequately
regulated. Dental service providers can set their own prices.
Based on the research, it was concluded that the current system of dental co-payments
increases social inequalities and makes it more difficult for patients to access services.
To improve the situation, it would be advisable to ensure better regulated prices and
more efficient funding.
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