KS Health Insurance Fund to Cover Costs of Devices and Strips for Diabetics

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - At today's 43rd working session, deputies in the Assembly of Sarajevo Canton (SKS) adopted the conclusion of the SKS Collegium to provide the drug "Glukogan" to all insulin-dependent patients for whom a medical indication for the use of the drug has been established, and who do not have it provided through hospital treatment, through a special program-protocol, at the expense of mandatory insurance funds and through the KS Health Insurance Fund.

A conclusion was also adopted to allocate 300,000 KM through the Amendments and Supplements to the KS Budget for the procurement of insulin pumps for newly diagnosed insulin-dependent patients, as well as replacement pumps for registered insulin-dependent patients for 2018, on an intervention basis, and from 2019 and subsequent years, funds will be provided from mandatory health insurance, meaning the KS HIO will finance them continuously in accordance with the valid Decree.

The Assembly Collegium also concluded, and the deputies accepted, that the procurement of sensors, i.e., blood glucose monitoring devices, will be financed from mandatory insurance funds in accordance with the Decree on Functional Funds, after these devices are registered with the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices of BiH.

The KS Health Insurance Fund will also cover the costs for the procurement of devices and 10 strips annually for measuring blood ketones for all insulin-dependent individuals up to the age of 26.

The Vice-President of the Association of Diabetological Associations in BiH, Midhat Mujić, who attended the sessions of the Collegium and the Assembly, stated that this will greatly facilitate patients, especially children, as the procurement of blood glucose monitoring devices will replace painful needle pricks. He took this opportunity to thank the deputies, the relevant minister Zilha Ademaj, and other members of the Government for their understanding and support.