Abstract
The article deals with the financing of spa undertakings through the health insurance system. The analysis is based on the financial statements of 28 spa undertakings operating in the Slovak Republic, their contracts with the individual health insurance companies and secondary data sources (accommodation statistics of these undertakings, the number of medical stays paid by clients themselves and of those covered by public health insurance, the spa treatment expenditure of the health insurance companies, the percentage of this expenditure out of the total expenditure spent by the health insurance companies on health care). The still significant percentage of revenues from the health insurance companies out of the total revenues of spa undertakings shows the prevalence of the medical nature of spa care. At the same time, it reflects the current tax measures related to the spa industry and shows that the introduction of a recreation allowance might influence the future development of spa care.
Highlights
In the 20th century, the ownership of spa undertakings and the manner of financing spa care changed twice in the Slovak Republic
We can observe that in 2006–2018, the amount of expenditure of insurance companies on medical spa treatment grew on a year-over-year basis, with the exception of the years 2012, where the amount was comparable to the previous year, and 2014, where a decrease appeared compared to 2013
Financial resources for spa treatment coming from public health insurance generally showed a growing trend in years 2006–2018
Summary
In the 20th century, the ownership of spa undertakings and the manner of financing spa care changed twice in the Slovak Republic. Act No 125/1948 on the nationalization of natural healing springs and on the incorporation and management of confiscated property of 1948 was crucial for the fate of Slovak spas. “after the nationalization of spas and springs in 1948, the ratio between patients sent for treatment by the national insurance company and private spa guests (self-payers) began to change significantly. The number of beds reserved for self-payers had been growing since 1955, the percentage of spa clients who paid for their stays themselves was less than 2%. In these early years, the importance of spas as recreation and tourism centers was underestimated. New construction began in the 1960s of the 20th century, but not everywhere and not at the same time” [4]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
