Medicine in Estonia
Estonia is far from the richest of the EU countries: no more than 6% of budget expenditures are allocated to healthcare, but even in conditions of underfunding, medicine in Estonia has made significant progress. Medical tourists from Germany, Denmark and Finland and Eastern Europe note the high quality of dental and obstetric care at a relatively low level. Of the high-tech industries, cardiac surgery is well developed - Estonia is among the top five European countries in terms of patient survival after complex heart surgeries.
The healthcare system in Estonia
The solidary healthcare system in Estonia is financed by the Health Insurance Fund (Heigekasse), a compulsory health insurance body that pays for the services of medical institutions and private doctors. The MHI policy covers family doctor services, emergency care, prescription drug purchases, and sickness benefits; dental treatment is subsidized according to quotas:
- adults 19–63 years old – up to 40 EUR per year;
- preferential categories - up to 85 EUR per year;
- children and adolescents under 19 years of age - no restrictions.
Specialized health care in Estonia is partially covered; only children under 2 years of age and pregnant women are exempted from co-financing; services that are not available under compulsory medical insurance can also be paid from voluntary insurance funds. Economically active citizens and migrants with a residence permit pay monthly MHI contributions in the amount of 13% of the social tax, which is 33% of the net monthly income. Beneficial categories of the population do not pay insurance premiums; In particular, the right to free medical care in Estonia is:
- children, students and youth under 19;
- conscripts and monks;
- pensioners and registered unemployed;
- people with disabilities and their caregivers;
- pregnant women and non-working mothers of children under 8;
- mothers of many children with three children under 16;
When applying for a policy, the patient chooses a family doctor and pediatrician for children from a list of doctors practicing in your area of residence. Foreign citizens without a residence permit can register with a doctor in a private clinic; EHIC card holders are treated in municipal clinics on a par with MHI policy holders. Doctors in Estonia accept foreigners with tourist visas under commercial insurance: medical services are paid for on the spot, and then the patient is sent an invoice for reimbursement through an insurance company.
Ambulance in Estonia
Ambulance, police and rescue service in Estonia are classified as emergency services that accept applications by the general number 112. Emergency medical care is covered by compulsory medical insurance and voluntary health insurance policies, but ambulance in Estonia accepts calls only in life-threatening situations - in case of severe injuries with loss of consciousness, acute respiratory and heart failure, suspected stroke, etc.
Exacerbations of chronic diseases, high fever and intestinal disorders are not considered grounds for calling an ambulance; during office hours, emergency care is provided by a family doctor. During non-working hours, contact the emergency department of the on-duty clinic; and in case of mild discomfort, you can consult the hotline 1220; obstetric care line 12252 is open for pregnant women.
How to make an appointment with a doctor in Estonia
Estonia has created one of the best eHealth portals in Europe (digilugu.ee); the access key is an ID card, mobile ID or SMART ID. Digital health cards make it easier to make an appointment with a doctor in Estonia: you do not need to answer standard questions, when applying through the patient's office information is entered automatically. If you do not have access to the system, you can make an appointment with a doctor in Estonia by phone, but it will not be possible to get through the first time.
Waiting time for a doctor's appointment/consultation in Estonia
It is usually not necessary to wait a long time for an appointment with a family doctor, but just in case, it is worth making an appointment with a doctor in Estonia a week before the intended visit. It is more difficult to get to a CHI specialist: a referral from a family doctor or other specialist is required; on your own initiative, you can visit a gynecologist, dentist, ophthalmologist, dermatovenereologist and psychiatrist. Taking into account the queues, waiting for an appointment with a specialist can take several weeks, or even months; in private clinics, a paid consultation with a doctor in Estonia is provided within 1–3 days.
The cost of a consultation and appointment with a doctor in Estonia
The Health Insurance Fund fully reimburses the cost of a doctor's consultation in Estonia; For uninsured patients, the price of a doctor's appointment in Estonia is 30–35 EUR. The cost of consulting a specialist without insurance is 40–50 EUR and more; for services under the MHI, a fixed fee of 5 EUR is charged for the initial visit.
For repeated applications for specialized assistance not related to vital needs and preventive projects, a one-time fee is charged every six months. In case of hospitalization, the insurance will reimburse the cost of treatment and surgery; hospital stay is paid by the patient at a rate of 20-25 EUR per day, except for emergency hospitalization.
Medical prescriptions in Estonia
E-prescriptions have been accepted in Estonian pharmacies since 2013, and patients receive compensation for the purchase of medicines from the Health Insurance Fund. Medicines are prescribed by family doctors and narrow specialists based on the results of the examination, and if you are not satisfied with the unhurried CHI service and expensive services of private clinics, you can get a prescription for a medicine in Estonia on the VideoDoc portal. Appointments of online consultants are not in doubt among pharmacists and insurance carriers - our doctors are accredited for legal practice in Europe.
