ONLY INSURED PERSONS Coronavirus testing free with a referral from a family doctor

SARAJEVO, (Patria) – SBB representative in the KS Assembly, Bilsena Šahman, submitted a representative initiative for the KS Government and KS Health Insurance Fund to make a proposal for a decision or solution according to which the KS Health Insurance Fund or the KS Government would participate in the price of coronavirus tests paid by citizens. Šahman stated in the explanation that the FBiH Government has certified the health institution "AGC" for coronavirus testing.

"Soon it will be the case, as far as I am informed, with some other private health institutions as well. The mentioned initiative tasks the KS Government and the KS Health Insurance Fund to enable citizens to be tested in certified private health institutions, and for the aforementioned to find a way to participate in the costs of tests for all our citizens," said Šahman.

In the response provided by the director of the KS Health Insurance Fund, Sakib Katana, it is stated that the decision on determining the basic package of health rights, in Article 5, within the scope of primary health care services, stipulates that health institutions from the field of hygiene-epidemiological activities, as well as laboratory activities, are provided to insured persons within the basic package.

"The provision of Article 8 of the Rulebook on the manner of exercising rights from mandatory health insurance, among other things, stipulates that the family doctor issues a referral to the insured person for examination and treatment in health institutions in the Canton where they are insured and outside that Canton. Consequently, the services of coronavirus testing for all insured persons are provided as part of the health package based on a referral issued by a family doctor, free of charge," said Katana.

However, Katana did not specify in his response whether this right also applies to commercial testing, i.e., in private institutions, thus not fully answering representative Šahman's question.