Slovenia (SI)

Every ZZZS-insured person chooses an "izbrani zdravnik" (chosen doctor — GP) at a health centre (zdravstveni dom) or private practice with ZZZS concession. The izbrani zdravnik is your primary healthcare contact and gatekeeper to specialist referrals. Choose a GP near your home — the ZZZS website (zzzs.si) lists available doctors and their acceptance capacity. Book appointments by phone or online. Most health centres have one or more English-speaking doctors — ask when registering.

Your GP issues a referral (napotnica) for specialist consultations. You can then book directly with a specialist at a hospital or specialist clinic — the napotnica is valid for 30–60 days depending on urgency category. Urgent referrals (nujno) have priority access. Elective referrals may face waiting times — you can choose any ZZZS-approved specialist provider in Slovenia. For faster access, private specialists are available.

Emergency (urgentno): call 112. Emergency departments (urgentna ambulanta) operate 24/7 at all major hospitals. For genuine emergencies there is NO co-payment. The Emergency Medical Service (ZIM — zunajbolnišnično nujno medicinsko pomoč) provides emergency ambulance and on-site emergency care. Ljubljana University Medical Centre (UKC Ljubljana) is the main emergency and trauma centre.

Out-of-hours GP care: ZD Ljubljana operates emergency GP services 24/7 at designated locations. Night-time and weekend GP emergencies: call your local zdravstveni dom — they have out-of-hours numbers. Many health centres have an "urgentna ambulanta" (urgent clinic) for non-life-threatening cases outside regular GP hours. For advice: NIZ (National Institute of Public Health) and ZZZS websites provide guidance.

GP prescriptions (recepti) are electronically issued to the central ePrescription system. Present your ZZZS health card at any pharmacy (lekarna) — the pharmacist can access your prescription electronically. ZZZS covers 75–90% of listed medicines; the remainder is your co-payment (covered by dopolnilno insurance). Some medicines require prior ZZZS approval (soglasje ZZZS). Find out-of-hours pharmacies (dežurna lekarna) at lekarnar.com.

Children under 19: dental care fully covered by ZZZS through the school dental programme. Adults: basic dental care is partially covered (e.g., tooth extractions, fillings with basic materials) — ZZZS rates are modest and co-payments apply. Most dental treatments (crowns, implants, orthodontics, cosmetics) are not covered and must be paid privately. Private dental care in Slovenia is relatively affordable by Western European standards: check-up €30–60; filling €60–120. Dental tourism from Austria and Italy is common — Slovenian dental prices are 30–50% lower than in those countries.

Public mental health services: via GP referral to psychiatrist (psihiater) or psychologist (psiholog) at the local zdravstveni dom or specialist mental health centre (Center za duševno zdravje). Waiting times can be 2–6 months. For acute mental health crises: psychiatric emergency at UKC Ljubljana or regional hospital psychiatric departments. Private psychology: €60–120/session, widely available in Ljubljana. Online therapy is growing. Expat-specific mental health challenges (cultural adjustment, language isolation) are increasingly acknowledged — several English-speaking therapists practice in Ljubljana.

Maternity care is fully covered by ZZZS: prenatal check-ups (ginekolog), birth preparation classes (šola za starše), hospital birth (porodništvo), and postnatal care. Births take place at hospital maternity wards (porodnišnica) — Ljubljana has the largest (Porodnišnica Ljubljana at UBKC). Hospital birth is free with ZZZS. Home births are permitted but uncommon. Breastfeeding support and postnatal visits from community health visitors (patronažna sestra) are provided free.