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Description
The project addresses two aspect of the current healthcare crisis, caused by private interests that are permeating the public healthcare system. On the one hand, we have the unfortunate and very unsuccessful urgent healthcare Act from 2022, intended to stabilize the system and shorten the waiting lists. Instead, the Act plunged the system deeper into the privatization spiral. The funds are indiscriminately paid to whomever performs whatever procedures - mostly highly profitable ones that do not contribute to shorter waiting times. While it is true that the situation has improved in some areas it is hardly a general trend. Additionally, the number of persons who cannot choose their assigned GP is still growing, despite the creation of the aptly named “infirmaries for the unassigned patients”, those, incidentally, turned out to be yet another step towards marketization and commodification of healthcare. The second challenge pertains to the ever more problematic supplementary health insurance, where a significant rise in premiums was recently announced, meaning a growing financial burden for a large segment of population. The Voice of The People civic initiative has already developed three legislative proposals, addressing the aforementioned challenges. The proposed project aims to inform the public and decision-makers, acquire public support for the legislative proposals and launch the legislative process for all three proposals. The main aim of the project activities is for the proposed Acts to be enforced as this would benefit all inhabitants of Slovenia, primarily the most vulnerable ones: the poor, who cannot afford direct payments of healthcare services nor supplementary insurance, people at risk and persons with chronic illnesses. The project will be implemented by the Voice of the People civic initiative. Within the initiative there is a work group for healthcare composed by healthcare professionals, legal experts, activists, and patients'' representatives.