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Saeima committee backs proposal to postpone launch of new healthcare financing system

BC, Riga, 09.01.2019.Print version
The Saeima Social and Labor Affairs Committee on Wednesday approved the proposal to postpone the launch of the new healthcare financing system until the summer, informed LETA/BNS.

According to the approved proposal the new system that would divide all patients into two groups depending on their health insurance status has to be put off until July 1, but the Saeima committee’s chairman Andris Skride (For Development/For) told the press that he would propose moving the date for the system’s launch to June 1.


The committee has yet to vote on sending the respective draft amendments to the Healthcare Financing Law for adoption in Saeima.


As reported, due to IT problems the National Health Service is unable to run the system of healthcare services which helps to determine the healthcare insurance status of patients.


The National Health Service decided earlier that if any technical problems occur due to which a person's insurance status is impossible to determine, the cost of any kind of healthcare services received by that person will be covered by the state, regardless of whether the person is or is not insured.


The Health Ministry promised that the system problems will be solved by February.


LETA also reported, as of 2019 patients who want to receive the full basket of government-funded healthcare services need mandatory health insurance policies.


Starting this year, all healthcare services paid for by the state would be available only to insured residents. These services will be available automatically to all employees who have been making social contributions for at least nine months, as well as residents who are included in any of the 21 social protection systems - pensioners, schoolchildren, students, and others.


In the meantime, all residents - including those who make no social contributions - will have access to the basic set of healthcare services paid for by the state: emergency medical service, visits to family physician, and state-covered medications for persons with mental problems, dependencies, diabetes, and infectious diseases such as HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis and others. Cancer treatment and cardiovascular diagnostics are also included in the basic set of healthcare services paid for by the state.


Residents who do not have state health insurance are required to make a payment of EUR 206.40 to have access to all healthcare services paid for by the state as of January 1 this year.






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