We see a turn back to Soviet times

American Natalia has been living in Lithuania for four years, paying taxes and healing breast cancer for the second year.

« I go straight out of research, I paid 50 euros, now I have problems with bones as well, » she says.

Still, a woman praises our health system, says that everything in America would be much more expensive and free consultations do not remember. However, there are situations that after the consultation, patients hear that they will have to pay even if you have a referral.

« Paradoxically, we pay taxes, » said another woman on the street.

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« Some medical institutions, although they have taken responsibility not to take additional premiums from patients, these provisions do not follow, » said Health Minister Marija Jakubauskienė.

« The sickness funds have entered into a contract with 1.7 thousand medical institutions. All of them are committed to providing good standard treatment services without taking premiums from patients, » explained Gytis Bendorius, Director of the State Patient Fund.

Additional payments exist in both public and private institutions. The oncology patients conducted a survey of their patients.

« There are 35 % for consultation with specialists in public institutions, 52 for research, and about 80 % of individuals pay for private, » said Neringa Čiakienė, Director of Association Association for Oncology Patients.

The bonuses are asked for a law – a better service is supposedly provided. According to the ministry, it sometimes turns out that the patient is concealed that the service is already paid by the state. Thus, it is peculiar: money is taken from both the state and the patient.

« At the moment we know that at least EUR 40 million a year is paid by the Lithuanian residents for the additional services that the state has already paid for, » said M. Jakubauskienė.

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The amendments to the law submitted should ensure that additional bonuses for the services provided by public funds are gone.

« We will certainly not allow us to continue to go to such phenomena, » said the Minister of Health.

« The intermediate variant, when a bit taken from the sickness funds, is slightly plucked from the patient, » said the director of the State Patient Fund.

« What will happen when people are unable to get better quality services? Will get like Soviet times – either through an envelope or through dating, » said Laimutis Paškevičius, president of the Association of Private Health Care Institutions.

Private people say – either refuse to provide services or give up contracts with sickness funds. And with only a basic payment, it is unlikely to be able to provide the most modern, millions costing equipment.

« It will reduce the level, I don’t know if it will be better for people, » said Pashkevich.

The real example is cataract surgery: the sickness fund pays 551 euros, the price of the lens is 40 euros, but frequently chooses a better lens and pays.

« If a person wants to choose better treatment or medical measures – lenses, prostheses, implants – he can pay the difference. And now what do we see? From modern medicine – the turn back to Soviet times, when everyone will have a basic standard, » said L. Pashkevich.

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« This will cause chaos. Without raising the fees to cover the full price of the service – here is a drastic step, » explained Auriuriuri Gerliakienė, the head of the Lithuanian Medical Movement.

« The rates paid by the sickness funds are sufficient, » said Bendorius.

The head of the sickness funds says that there is no minus work.

« Together with 160 public institutions, last year received 37 million pure profits. Meaning salaries, investments, premises, IT systems were EUR 37 million lower than received income from the sickness funds, » said the director of the State Patient Fund.

In some cases, the sickness funds say – they will increase prices to pay a person, because the pursuit is either completely free of service, or if the so -called « better » – the patient will pay for everything from his pocket.

Those who have enough finances for treatment in the private sector will be healing there. And those who were able to use the private sector services because the basic price was paid for and had to pay for a while – they would not be able to pay full price. Then return to the public sector. Will it be stretched by the public sector? « I doubt, » said A. Gerliakienė.

Patients with a referral will face a request to pay, the Minister advises not to remain silent: contact the head of the institution first and ask if the services are already paid for the sickness funds, as well as to inform the Ministry and the Patient Fund.