ZZZS's Snežana Marković labelled the changes as comprehensive, noting they entailed a number of adjustments in various fields of patient rights.

The document introduces changes to artificial insemination, with the number of attempts only limited in in-vitro cases from now on. Until now, the ZZZS covered up to six attempts of artificial insemination.

Moreover, the changes increase the range of illnesses for which patients will be able to enjoy health resort treatments and sets the age for prescribing magistral drugs to children.

The right of disabled persons to undergo renewed rehabilitation will no longer be cancelled out by the use of health resort treatment in case of the same illness.

Changes also introduce four new kinds of medical accessories and rule out three kinds that have not been prescribed in years, according to Marković.

A major part of the changes addresses dental services. Under the changes, dental implants, which patients could only get from the mandatory health insurance in extraordinary situations until now, will be made part of the rights. Changes will also apply in orthodontics and dental accessories.

Some members of the assembly, including Bronislava Zaloker, a representative of employers, proposed that the changes be shelved, because they are in violation of the agreement the ZZZS has made with suppliers of medical equipment.

According to Zaloker, a number of changes have been adapted to the bill on healthcare and health insurance that has not been adopted. She believes that such changes are illegal and unconstitutional.

Ivan Gracar, a representative of commercial insurers, meanwhile said that most of the changes had to do with services with relatively high prices in supplementary health insurance. This means that operating costs of insurers offering supplementary health insurance will rise by around 1.5% because of the changes, he added.

The ZZZS's legal services said these and other reservations were unfounded.

Meanwhile, the assembly was addressed by the new health minister, Samo Fakin, a former ZZZS boss, who said that he would green light the changes as soon as possible, today or tomorrow, because the patients need them. They will cost the ZZZS nearly EUR 3.27m a year.