From April 1, the fee for a visit to the specialist will grow from 5 to 20 euros
From April 1, a visit to a specialist in Estonia will become more expensive: a fee for a visit, including emergency assistance, will grow from 5 to 20 euros. However, benefits will remain for vulnerable groups of the population. The Ministry of Social Affairs explains the increase in tariffs with the need to adapt to the increased burden on the medical system and the recommendations of the OECD.
For vulnerable groups of the population, such as pensioners, unemployed, women with children and people receiving benefits, the fee will remain at the level of 5 euros. With more serious health problems, if a person is hospitalized, a fee for visiting an emergency department (EMO) will be canceled. Since April, the Koiko-day fee in the hospital will also increase from 2.5 to 5 euros.
Lii Parg, an expert on the financing policy of healthcare in the Ministry of Social Affairs, explained that the size of the fee for visiting has not changed for more than ten years. “Over time, both the load on the medical system and the cost of services increased. The changes correspond to the recommendations of the OECD, which states that the increase in the fee for visiting will help to make the healthcare system more effective if it protects vulnerable groups of the population. ”
The lower visit to a visit of 5 euros will still be charged with recipients of benefits, people with partial or zero disability, registered unemployed, people over 63 years old, old-age pensioners, children under 19 years old, women with children and mothers of children under one year old. “In addition, from women who do not have children, you can not charge a lesser fee for visiting if they receive specialized outpatient assistance in connection with pregnancy or childbirth,” said Parg.
An additional precaution will act: if a person needs to repeatedly visit the same specialist doctor, the fee can be charged only once a year. Similarly, the fee is not charged for directions within a medical institution or, moreover, a specialist in another institution.
Pyurg emphasized that the appointment with a family doctor remains free. In addition, the family doctor’s phone number 1220 is working around the clock, where you can get an initial consultation or recommendations about where it is better to deal with your health problems.
Since April, the Koiko-day fee in the hospital will increase from 2.5 euros to 5 euros. They pay for no more than 10 days of hospitalization. As an exception, the fee for bed-day is not charged for staying in intensive care, for specialized assistance during pregnancy or childbirth, as well as from minors.
It is worth noting that if the patient cannot make an appointment, he must warn about it in at least 24 hours. If the notification is delayed or the patient is not appearing, the medical institution has the right to charge a double fee for the next reception.
Detailed information about the cost of visits and beds can be obtained on the sites of medical institutions or health cash desks.
According to BNS
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