Country

Slovakia

Long-term care

Basic principles

The benefits are organised at regional and local level. Long-term care is covered partly by specific legislation (in case of disabled persons and those dependent on others) and partly by legislation on a number of other risks (invalidity, old-age, health care). The benefits are provided as a combination of benefits in kind (financed by regional and local self-governments) and cash benefits (financed by the state). Cash benefits (compensatory benefits) are granted if the conditions are fulfilled, which include a means test.

Benefits are granted on the basis of a subjective right.

Long-term care

Field of application

Persons with severe health disability, persons with a negative state of health and persons in need of care from another person. 

Organisation of Long-term care

Informal caregivers and professional providers

Informal care is provided by relatives (husband, wife, parent, custodian, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, child-in law, parent-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece, nephew) and by other natural persons who live together with the person in need of care (Attendance Service Benefit (Príspevok na opatrovanie)).
Formal providers can be both public and private sector. There are care assistant and employees of care providers in institutions.

Long-term care

Benefits for the carer

Personal Assistance Benefit (Príspevok na osobnú asistenciu) and Attendance Service Benefit (Príspevok na opatrovanie):
Moreover, the state pays contributions for both carer’s and personal assistant’s old-age and invalidity insurance. It is possible to take a paid leave in order to care of a dependent person (relief service).

Long-term care

User charges

The recipient of benefits in kind has to pay the cost of services during a stay in a facility according to this/her income and assets, but s/he has to be left with a certain minimum income (20% of the subsistence minimum per month). In case of home care services, the recipient must be left with at least 130% of the subsistence minimum. The cash benefit recipient pays a part of the costs for utility equipment.

Country

Slovakia

GDP at market prices Purchasing Power Standard per inhabitant, 2011

18 400

Pension expenditure,  % of GDP, 2010

6.6%

Expenditure on care for elderly, % of GDP, 2008

0.36%

At-risk-of-poverty rate, age group 65 years or over, 2011

6.3%

Old-age pensions

Basic principles

1st pillar:

Pay-as-you-go social insurance scheme based on contributions and solidarity principle, where the sum of the benefit is derived from earnings activity during the whole working life. Special scheme for policemen, soldiers and customs officers.

2nd pillar:

Funded scheme based on contributions (paid by employers and by the state) and on an assessment of the money deposited with benefits linked to the accrued pension capital.

3rd pillar:

Supplementary voluntary old-age insurance scheme financed by contributions of insured persons and employers.

Old-age pensions

Legal retirement age in standard case

Old-age pension (Starobný dôchodok): 62 years

This level of retirement age will be reached in 2014 for all population groups.

Financing principles for old-age pensions

Contributions (insured persons and employers) and state subsidy.

Benefits for older unemployed

Early pension (Predčasný starobný dôchodok)

Financing systems for long-term benefits

Case of  old-age benefits

1st pillar: current income financing (‘pay as you go’)

2nd pillar: funded

Health care

Basic principles

Universal health care scheme for all inhabitants (based on residency), funded by compulsory insurance contributions and state subsidies. Benefits-in-kind system. Co-payments of insured persons required in some cases.

Health care

Benefits for prosthesis, spectacles, hearing-aids

Limited coverage, the rest to be paid by the patient (according to the price list of health devices). For example: the patient's participation for a lower limb prosthesis or hearing-aid may be partly or totally covered by the health insurance, depending on the diagnosis, the doctor's decision and the patient's choice of aid.

Country

Slovakia

Use of computers

Enforced lack of a computer

2011

One adult 65 years or over. Cannot afford

17.2%

E-skills

2012

Individuals who have copied or moved a file or folder

71.0%

Individuals who have used copy or cut and paste tools to duplicate or move information on screen

67.0%

Individuals who have compressed files

34.0%

Way of obtaining e-skills

2011

Individuals who have obtained IT skills through self-study (learning by doing)

56.0%

Reasons for not having taken a computer course

2011

Individuals who do not need to take a computer course because their computer skills are sufficient

29.0%

Individuals who do not need to take a computer course because they rarely use computers

11.0%

Use of Internet

Frequency of Internet access:

2012

Once a week (including every day)

74.0%

Daily

60.0%

Internet used for

2012

Internet banking

40.0%

Interaction with public authorities (last 12 months)

42.0%

Mobile Internet access with portable computer

Every day or almost every day 2012

10.0%

Individuals' level of Internet skills

2011

Individuals who have used a search engine to find information

78.0%

Individuals who have sent an email with attached files

71.0%

Individuals who have posted messages to chat rooms, newsgroups or an online discussion forum

29.0%

Individuals who have used the Internet to make phone calls

49.0%

Individuals using the Internet for seeking health-related information

38.0%

Concern about possible problems related to Internet usage

2010

Strongly concerned about catching a virus or other computer infection (e.g. worm or Trojan horse) resulting in loss of information or time

27.0%

Mildly concerned about catching a virus or other computer infection (e.g. worm or Trojan horse) resulting in loss of information or time

42.0%

Not at all concerned about catching a virus or other computer infection (e.g. worm or Trojan horse) resulting in loss of information or time

11.0%

Security related problems experienced through using the Internet for private purposes in the last 12 months.

2010

Caught a virus or other computer infection (e.g. worm or Trojan horse) resulting in loss of information or time

37.0%

Financial loss as a result of receiving fraudulent messages ('phishing') or getting redirected to fake websites asking for personal information ('pharming')

1.0%

Activities via Internet not done because of security concerns

2010

Security concerns kept individual from ordering or buying goods or services for private use

5.0%

Security concerns kept individual from communicating with public services and administrations

3.0%

Use and update of IT security software or tool to protect the private computer and data

2010

Use any kind of IT security software or tool (anti-virus, anti-spam,firewall, etc.) in order to protect private computer and data

69.0%

Don't use any kind of IT security software or tool (anti-virus, anti-spam, firewall, etc.) in order to protect private computer and data

3.0%

Don't know if use any kind of IT security software or tool (anti-virus, anti-spam, firewall, etc.) in order to protect private computer and data

6.0%

Frequency of safety copies or back up files from the computer on any external storage device

2010

Frequency of safety copies/back up files: always or almost always

19.0%

Frequency of safety copies/back up files: Never or hardly ever

23.0%