For patients with non-specific chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (including Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease), in addition to current modern drug treatment, spa treatment in natural healing spas can also significantly improve the quality of life.
Who is the spa treatment for?
The condition is that the patient with IBD disease is in remission of the disease and his attending physician recommends treatment.
Is spa treatment paid from the public health system?
THE LIST OF INDICATIONS FOR SPA TREATMENT
Spa treatment in group "A" - paid by the insurance company
- Conditions after resection of the small or large intestine within 12 months of surgery.
- The health insurance company pays: spa procedures, meals, accommodation in standard conditions (standard is a double room)
- The insured pays: EUR 1.70 for meals and bed stays for each day
Spa treatment in group "B" - partially covered by the insurance company
- The insurance company only pays for spa treatments
- The insured pays for accommodation, meals, spa fees, and accommodation tax.
- The insured has the right to choose the provider of the spa facility in which he wants to undergo treatment in group B.
- BARDEJOVSKÉ KÚPELE a.s., 086 31 Bardejovské Kúpele
- Kúpeľno-liečebný ústav MV SR DRUŽBA, 086 31 Bardejovské Kúpele
- KÚPELE BRUSNO a.s. ul. Kúpeľná 1/2, 976 62 BRUSNO
- KÚPELE LÚČKY, a.s., 03482 Lúčky
- Kúpele Nimnica, a.s., 020 71 Nimnica
- Slovenské liečebné kúpele Turčianske Teplice,a.s., SNP 519 ,039 12 Turčianske Teplice
- Kúpele Kováčová s.r.o., Kúpeľná 76/70, 962 37 KOVÁČOVÁ - kúpele
- Vyšné Ružbachy 48, 065 02 Vyšné Ružbachy
The benefit of spa treatment for a patient with IBD disease in the stage of remission of the disease
- The goal of balneotherapy is to achieve or balance the metabolic state, to increase body weight where it is disturbed
- Alleviation of secondary dyspeptic disorders
- The diet is a basis
- Protective treatment regimen
- Drinking treatment according to the doctor's recommendation
- To a limited extent, additional treatment procedures (hydrotherapy) with limitation of thermotherapy
- Movement, walks, individual therapeutic physical education
- Education for proper regimen and non-smoking
- Relaxation, about 2/3 of patients report improvement in subjective difficulties (source: M.Škarpík et al., Use of balneotherapy in internal medicine, Avicenum, 1994)
When can't be the spa treatment suggested – contraindications
- infectious diseases
- all diseases in the acute stage
- frequent recurrent profuse bleeding of any kind
- active phases of psychoses and mental disorders with antisocial manifestations and reduced ability to communicate
- alcohol dependence, substance abuse
- smoking - the proposing doctor is obliged to always confirm this fact in the proposal
- urinary and fecal incontinence
- pregnancy
- high blood pressure; diastolic (lower) above 120
- other on the indicative list
Who can issue a spa proposal?
The proposal for spa care is issued by a specialist doctor listed in the Indicative list for spa care or a general practitioner for adults or children based on the findings of the relevant specialist physician.
What must a spa proposal contain?
The spa proposal must meet the minimum scope of necessary examinations listed in the indication list for spa care, e.g. results of physical examination, results of professional and laboratory examinations necessary to determine the diagnosis and treatment procedure, the current method of treatment, including prescription drugs. The summary of the results of clinical and laboratory examinations must not be older than three months. Before entering spa care, the physician must confirm the patient's current health state to exclude a possible contraindication. Confirmation must not be older than 14 days.
Who approves the spa proposal?
The proposal is approved by the relevant health insurance company of the insured. The completed proposal has to be delivered to the health insurance company no later than six weeks before the expiry of the indication period. The validity of the proposal for group B is usually 12 months from the issuance of the proposal.
Frequently asked questions about spa treatment
What if a patient becomes ill during treatment in a spa?
For medical reasons (acute), they can start again after recovery and continue the treatment, or in case of serious family reasons, it is possible to interrupt the established spa treatment. The condition is that they manage to do so by the expiration date of the spa proposal. (The insured can ask the branch of the health insurance company in writing form about the continuation of the interrupted spa treatment.)
There are cases where doctors ask for fees for writing a spa proposal. Is it ok?
The issuance of a spa proposal according to the Indication List for Spa Treatment is medical documentation and is, therefore, a part of health care. Doctors should not ask for money for a proposal!
Under what conditions will the insurance company approve the guide to spa treatment?
- The stay of the guide in the provision of the constitutional spa treatment is approved by the health insurance company according to the valid legislation to the insured persons up to 3 years age.
- At the age of more than 3 years, partial payment for the guide is provided only in objectively necessary cases. Such cases include serious illness and severe medical conditions of patients that require their constant, ie all-day individual care that the spa cannot fully provide (e.g. Cerebral palsy, severely disabled insured person with the complete inability to self-service, condition after a complex surgery of the musculoskeletal system with the impossibility of self-service, serious neurological disease accompanied by a physical deficit, blindness, serious behavioral disorders in children, etc.).
MUDr. Dagmar Zlinská
