Slovakia is preparing a major leap in the digitization of sickness benefits and pregnancy care. The Social Insurance Agency and the National Health Information Center will link data so that benefits are processed automatically and without paper. The launch is planned for the second quarter of 2026, with a target date of April 1, 2026.
The role of NCZI: data, standards, and benefits for doctors
NCZI acts as a data "hub," creating standards, ensuring communication between outpatient clinics and state institutions, and will make the pregnancy booklet available in the electronic health record on the National Health Portal. Processes are set up for examinations, requisition forms, laboratory results and notifications, so that data flows smoothly to the Social Insurance Agency. The launch is being prepared for the second quarter of 2026 with the ambition of April 1, with legislative changes taking effect from that date. NCZI is also certifying outpatient software so everything works according to uniform rules.
Digitization will also make life easier in sensitive situations, for example in the event of termination of pregnancy. The doctor will enter this fact into the electronic booklet and the Social Insurance Agency will process the data automatically, without the woman having to carry certificates. Doctors will receive electronic laboratory results and alerts directly into the system, which will speed up communication and reduce paperwork. The result should be less paper, fewer errors, and faster benefit decisions.
Care benefit, the insured person's electronic account, and paper "backups"
The care benefit will be introduced in a "lighter" electronic form: the doctor will confirm the need for care in eHealth and the family will decide at home who will claim the entitlement. The selected caregiver will submit an application to the Social Insurance Agency, which will electronically verify the confirmation in the NCZI system and decide on the benefit. All steps and outcomes will be clearly visible in the insured person's electronic account. The same account already shows data on electronic sick leave today.
To access information, the Social Insurance Agency recommends activating the insured person's electronic account; those who do not have an eID can sign an agreement at a branch to set up the account. For those who will not use digital services, doctors will be able to issue extracts of key data, such as the expected due date or the need for care, as well as a paper version of the pregnancy booklet. In cross-border situations in the EU, there is currently no direct interconnection of systems, so a paper confirmation from the doctor is used, which institutions accept. Funding for the changes is covered mainly by the Recovery and Resilience Plan, with part of the costs paid by other sources.
