A contract with a health insurer is the operating foundation for most dental clinics — without it, the insurer reimburses none of your procedures. This guide builds on our pillar on how to systematically get patients for a dental clinic and focuses on one concrete step: how to land the contract and what to do until you have one.
How to proceed in getting a contract
In short: first secure every permit and registration, then apply to each insurer separately. In Slovakia you deal with three: VšZP, Dôvera and Union. The process is similar in each case:
- Obtain a permit to operate the clinic from the relevant self-governing region (VÚC) and enter the register of providers.
- Register with the Health Care Surveillance Authority (ÚDZS) and obtain a provider code and codes for the dentists.
- Prepare your setup: premises that meet hygiene standards, equipment, staffing and a connection to the eZdravie (e-Health) system.
- Submit a contract application to each insurer separately — via their portal or a prescribed form, with attachments (permit, codes, equipment).
- Go through the contracting process: the insurer assesses the application, may request additions, and once approved you sign a contract with the agreed procedures and limits.
Why insurer contracts matter
The vast majority of Slovak patients are used to seeing a dentist "on insurance." Without a contract you reach only a narrow group of self-pay patients, which is hard to sustain for a conventional clinic. With contracts you gain a steady flow of patients, reimbursement of basic procedures and trust — patients also find you through each insurer's directory of contracted dentists. A contract also frees you up to pursue more lucrative self-pay treatments alongside reimbursed care.
Steps and conditions (indicative)
Conditions differ between insurers in the details, but the core is shared. This is an indicative overview — always verify the current requirements directly with the insurer:
| Area | What the insurer typically requires | Rough time |
|---|---|---|
| Permit and registration | VÚC permit, provider code from ÚDZS, dentist codes | 2 – 6 weeks |
| Premises and equipment | Approved premises, hygiene, equipment, eZdravie connection | Depends on readiness |
| Contract application | Completed application + attachments for VšZP, Dôvera and Union separately | 1 – 2 weeks to prepare |
| Contracting | Assessment, additions, contract signing | 1 – 3 months |
What to do while you don't have one (self-pay)
Contracting takes weeks to months — you don't have to wait it out idle. Get the clinic running on self-pay patients: set a transparent price list, communicate the value of treatment clearly, and focus on procedures where the patient isn't waiting on reimbursement (aesthetics, hygiene, consultations). Meanwhile, build visibility and a patient database so you don't start from zero once the contract is signed. We cover the practical side in our guide on how to open a new dental clinic.
Legal and administrative pitfalls
Most applications stall not on medicine but on paperwork. Common problems: incomplete attachments, mismatches in the premises data, a missing permit for a specific procedure, or unclear contract terms signed in a hurry. An insurer contract is a long-term commitment with limits and penalty clauses — it pays to have it reviewed before you sign. Our legal advice for dental clinics helps you check both the application and the contract.
How this fits a new clinic's launch
Arranging insurer contracts should run in parallel with your other preparations, not be left to the end. While you wait for contracting, set up your Google profile, a website with online booking and your first ads, so you have patients ready for the day the contracts are signed. The full launch sequence — from permits to first patients — is in our guide on how to open a new dental clinic and quickly get your first patients. If you'd rather hand the whole contracting process to experienced hands, see our health-insurer contract service.