The Central Union of Trade Unions believes that the specialist doctor’s visit fee and the hospital bed day fee should be gradually increased and that the treatment of children under the age of 18 should be paid from the state budget.
“In our opinion, it would be more reasonable to increase the co-payment rate in smaller steps, while at the same time developing support mechanisms for low-income residents, so that their opportunity to help get it in time,” said the chairman of the Central Union of Trade Unions Kaia Vask.
According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, the deductible should be 15 percent. In Estonia, the rate of co-payment was 23.1 percent in 2022, and with the increase in fees for visits and bed day tax, the rate of co-payment will increase even more.
“The 200 per cent increase in the visitation fee and bed day charge will affect a large number of people, and unfortunately, mostly those with serious health problems. People with low incomes may give up going to the doctor, and as a result their health deteriorates and they only access a healthcare professional when the treatment has become too expensive for them. patient and to the health fund,” explained Vask.
The health fund is able to use reserves to cover the deficit, but according to the Central Union of Trade Unions, this can only be an emergency and temporary solution. “In the long term, the use of resources does not make the existing system more sustainable. It is definitely necessary to increase the tax base of the health fund. One option is to pay health insurance payments to children under 18 from the state budget,” Vask offered.
In addition, the Central Federation of Trade Unions supports an analysis of the entire health care system to find areas of savings. “For example, several studies with different medical institutions should be stopped. It is not unusual for a family doctor to perform the necessary tests and send the patient to a specialist, who in turn performs the same tests,” Vask found.
In order for the costs to the health insurance fund to be lower in the future, according to the Central Union of Trade Unions, it is necessary to bring back compensation for sick leaves from the second day of the illness. In addition, the central union requires the health fund and the council on the health fund to evaluate the appropriateness and cost of other expenses, including advertising, movement, etc. and also find places for savings among them.
