Health

The person granted international protection is entitled to health services in the same scope as any other person in Slovenia who has compulsory health insurance.  

This means you will get an health insurance card that you need to present when you go to the doctor. You have the right to choose your personal doctor; everybody needs to have a chosen general physician, who gives them access to other health care services. If you have children, they have to be registered with a pediatrician.

You can use, free of charge, the services of:

• primary health care of general practitioner (family doctor), gynecologist, pediatrician and dentist,
• diagnostic examinations in health centers, laboratories and hospitals, if you are referred by the primary health care practitioner,
• specialist health services and hospital treatments to which the primary health care practitioner refers you,
• emergency medical assistance and ambulance transport,
• medication prescribed to you by your primary health care practitioner or a specialist you were referred to.

To access the health care system, you must have compulsory health insurance from the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia. Your first contact point in the Slovene health care system are usually local health centers (zdravstveni dom). You do not need a referral to visit a primary care physician. However, you need to make an appointment (by phone, e-mail or in person), except if you get sick suddenly. This way, you will presumably avoid waiting too long in waiting room. Patients who make appointment have priority (except in cases that are URGENT).

Primary healthcare

• general physician/family doctor (splošni zdravnik) in your local health care center,
• pediatrician (pediater) for children,
• gynecologist (ginekolog) for women,
• dentist (zobozdravnik) for problems with your teeth.

Emergency

In case you need to see a general physician outside their working hours (on weekends, during holidays or at night), you can go to the on-call duty medical service (dežurni zdravnik) in your local healthcare center. You should seek emergency medical services (nujna pomoč) only in cases when your life may be threatened or you there may be severe consequences for your health. Otherwise, you will have to pay for the services yourself.

When making an emergency call you will need to:

• call the free emergency number 112,     
• introduce yourself,
• explain what happened,
• explain who needs help,
• give your location.

It is important to stay calm and listen to the instructions carefully.

Specialist

To see a clinical specialist contact your personal doctor and you will be referred to a clinical specialist or hospital for additional diagnostic methods and treatment. There you will also get the information how to make an appointment (through online system or personally). When making an appointment, select from the list of available specialists and call via phone or send an e-mail to book an appointment. You will be informed about the date and time of your appointment. When you visit the doctor, always bring your health insurance card, any test results, prescriptions or vaccination record and the medical referral from your personal doctor. 

You can get medicine only in pharmacies. For most medication you need prescription issued by your general physician. If you have health insurance, your general physician will write a prescription for medication and you will be able to pick up the medicines in the pharmacy by showing your health insurance card. For some medication, you do not need a prescription. You can buy these medicines in any pharmacy. Costs of some medication are only partially covered so you will need to pay a small amount. If you urgently need a medicine outside the working hours of pharmacies, you will need to go to the pharmacy that is open every day 00-24 hrs. All the bigger cities have on-duty pharmacies.

All persons with valid health insurance have the right to choose a personal doctor, a personal dentist and a gynecologist. You can choose a personal doctor at the first visit to your local health center. You can make a choice among available doctors in your health center or between private doctors who provide primary care on the basis of a contract with the Health Insurance Institute by completing the relevant document with your doctor. Not all doctors are always available. You are also entitled to interpreting services for a limited period of time and in specific urgent cases. Interpreters are provided by the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants, Ministry of the Interior as well as through NGOs Odnos and the Slovenian Philanthropy.

The health insurance system is divided into compulsory health insurance and supplementary health insurance for additional coverage of health services. Compulsory health insurance is mandatory for all residents and covers basic general health services in primary health care homes, emergency health services and certain forms of treatment. Anyone who is permanent or temporary resident, can take out a health insurance, that comprises both compulsory and supplementary health insurances, which, taken together generally cover 100% of health services.

Clinic for people without health insurance