Licences have heretofore been granted for indefinite periods; under the new legislation they will be approved for 15 years with the possibility of a 15-year extension.

The coalition dispute, featuring mainly the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and Health Minister Milojka Kolar Celarc, had revolved mainly about the extension of the concessions.

Previous versions of the bill for example mentioned an extension of up to 15 years.

Licences will be granted when the local community determines that having a concessionaire is in the public interest and when public health institutions cannot provide the service in the desired scope. The current system is much less restrictive.

Another notable novelty is the prohibition of competition: doctors employed in public hospitals will only be allowed to work an additional eight hours per week in private institutions, and even that only with the approval of their superiors.

At present many doctors in the public health system would have their own private practice or work entire extra shifts for private institution.

This practice often leads to a conflict of interest, as doctors in public hospitals would refer patients to their own private practice, promising them better or faster treatment there.