ŠERANIĆ: A BETTER SOLUTION WILL BE SOUGHT URGENTLY

UGLJEVIK, OCTOBER 26 /SRNA/ - Republika Srpska Minister of Health and Social Welfare Alen Šeranić announced today that, together with the Health Insurance Fund /FZO/ and healthcare institutions, authorities will urgently seek a better model and solution regarding prenatal testing in Srpska.

He expressed regret that, due to the decision of the BiH Competition Council, pregnant women will no longer have access to free prenatal tests funded by Republika Srpska, and will now have to pay for the test upfront and later request reimbursement from the Fund.

"This is not good, because if a pregnant woman doesn’t have the funds at that moment, there's a possibility she will go without the test," Šeranić told reporters in Ugljevik.

The minister added that, unfortunately, the Competition Council does not consider the issue from a healthcare perspective or the needs of patients, but rather from market regulation principles applicable to BiH.

The Management Board of the Health Insurance Fund of Republika Srpska adopted amendments to the 2024 Program for Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing from maternal blood, stipulating that pregnant women will pay for these tests themselves and subsequently apply for reimbursement from the Fund.

The Fund stated that the Management Board made this decision in compliance with the ruling of the BiH Competition Council.