Union: We Find Matovic's Statements About Cypriot Accounts Insulting

Bratislava, October 13 (TASR) - The privately-owned Union health insurer finds insulting the statements by Finance Minister Igor Matovic's (OLaNO) about private health insurers funnelling their profits into Cypriot accounts, Union spokesperson Beata Dupalova Ksenzsighova told TASR on Wednesday. In light of the latest tax prognosis, state policyholder payments are to be slashed by more than €232 million, with hospitals bound to provide less health care due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Matovic claimed on Wednesday. He added that financial resources allocated to this purpose will be suspended for the time being, otherwise private health insurers would have funnelled their profits into tax haven accounts and the ill would have been left with no money. The Union spokesperson underlined that Union hasn't siphoned any resources off the system of public health insurance. "On the contrary, our mother company Achmei hasn't even seen returns on its investments in our country yet. We've been running an honest business in Slovakia in line with ethics and transparency. There are no scandals or letterbox companies in Cyprus behind us. We don't want to be involved in Igor Matovic's fight against Penta (financial group and owner of Dovera health insurer)," she added. In the following months, Union will send more money to hospitals in order to catch up on the postponed health care. "In addition, we've also decided to support financially outpatient surgery facilities, as a way to improve the availability of health care for our policyholders in case hospitals won't be able to provide the full extent of health care," claimed Ksenzsighova. mf/mcs