Experts have urged Estonia not to delay addressing the shortfall in the Health Insurance Fund
Estonia needs to address the deficit in the Health Insurance Fund now, or patients may end up paying more for medical care out of their own pockets. ERR News reports this, citing experts and representatives of the healthcare sector.
The Estonian healthcare system is based on the principle of solidarity: workers help fund the medical care of children and the elderly. However, due to the aging population, revenue from social taxes is no longer sufficient to finance healthcare. The Health Insurance Fund has had a deficit of nearly 100 million euros for several years.
Last week, Social Affairs Minister Carmen Jöller stated that the current government will not change healthcare funding. According to her, the fund’s reserves should last until 2029, and decisions can be made at that time.
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Healthcare analyst Kaia Kasekamp believes that postponing such decisions is unwise. In her view, the expectation that reserves can be used to maintain the current level of access to medical care is an illusion. She noted that Estonia needs to decide whether to maintain the solidarity-based health insurance model or whether people should pay more out of pocket.
Priit Perens, director of Tartu University Hospital, stated that hospitals will manage for the next few years, but problems will intensify over time due to rising healthcare costs and the public’s growing expectations regarding the quality of care. According to him, cost-cutting measures alone cannot cover the fund’s deficit, and access to medical care may increasingly depend on a patient’s ability to pay.
Family physician Trinu-Marie Ots emphasized that the government and healthcare providers must explain to the public which services can realistically be provided. Currently, she said, family doctors often spend time explaining to patients which services the government cannot provide due to their cost or because they do not meet patients’ needs.
