Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Health, Insurance, Markets and Companies, Technology

The delegation met with the board of the Estonian Health Insurance Fund, Minister of Health and Labor Jevgeni Ossinovski and deputy secretary general of the Ministry of Social Affairs for e-services development and innovation Ain Aaviksoo.

"We consider international as well as internal cooperation within the EU extremely important both for health insurance and the whole healthcare system," CEO of the Health Insurance Fund Tanel Ross said in a press release. "Estonia and Germany are among the many countries faced with the challenge of how to ensure solidary health insurance in an ageing society, in which the working-age population is decreasing and the roles of patients and healthcare workers are changing and responsibility is increasing," Ross said.

"Digital solutions, which are more than ever interwoven into the daily lives of both doctors and patients, are more and more important in an ageing society. Innovation and cooperation between countries are of key importance when aspiring towards values like dignified ageing, a life lived healthily and the average life expectancy," he said.

German healthcare leaders also got an overview of information system and e-consultation of family doctors and the helpline of family nurses at the Jarveotsa general medical practice and the Apotheka e-pharmacy. The delegation also visited North Estonia Medical Center in order to get an overview of the hospital's information systems, the department of emergency medical treatment and the Estonian telemedicine solutions.

The 12-strong delegation was in Estonia on Thursday and Friday and included chairman of Vdek Ulrike Elsner. The visit also included representatives of the International Association of Mutual Benefit Societies (AIM), which includes the Estonian Health Insurance Fund as a representative of Estonia.

Vdek brings together six different health insurance funds operating in Germany, which offer health insurance to more than 26 million people.