Advice on how to register where the queue to see the doctor is shorter
Long queues to see doctors are a pressing problem these days. However, enquiries regarding queues received by the health insurance funds show that we are not taking the advantage of all the opportunities to get to the doctor's faster since not everyone is aware that it is possible to choose and arrange a visit to the doctor's as well as at a medical institution where queues are shorter. How does one register for the service with a shorter waiting time?
People covered by Compulsory Health Insurance, with a valid referral to a specialist doctor do not have to pay for the medical services specified in the referral if they seek help at a medical institution that has concluded an agreement with the health insurance funds for the services needed. The referral is valid for 60 days, during which one shall register for an appointment, not attend the appointment. If one has a long waiting list for the service one needs at the clinic of choice, it may be useful to use a few tips to make registration process less of a challenge.
1. Remember that one can choose. The insured people have the right to receive specialist doctor services and tests they need at no extra cost not only at the clinic where they are registered but also at other medical institutions - both public and private - that have concluded a contract with the health insurance funds. This option offers a wider choice.
2. Consult the prescribing doctor. When one receives a referral, it is recommended to ask the doctor straight away where the services indicated in the referral are provided. At least 3 such facilities shall be offered to the patient.
3. Find out where the service needed can be provided. The section “Healthcare facilities and services throughout Lithuania“ in the health insurance funds website provides information on all healthcare facilities that have concluded agreements with the health insurance funds. By selecting or entering the desired service and city, a detailed list of medical institutions in the area that have concluded an agreement for the service one is looking for is shown, from which one can choose the most suitable one. One should check with the selected facility directly whether the service is currently available.
4. Register via the Advance Patient Registration Information (APRI) system. Patients can register for services via the systems of the facilities, by phone, or by coming to the facility in person. The APRI system is useful when there is a long waiting queue for a doctor with necessary qualifications at one’s clinic. The system provides access to actual availability of doctors in different facilities using the system, and enables one to make an appointment at an institution with a shorter waiting list. The APRI system publishes the next month's service provision schedules by the 25th of the current month, and scheduled appointments may be cancelled; therefore, if one does not find an appointment at a suitable time right away, it is recommended to try to register the following day. It is true that merely over half of the health care facilities are using the system so far, but the number is growing, and it is hoped that eventually the majority of facilities will use it.
5. Make a call to the facilities on the list of the health insurance funds. If one cannot find the right healthcare facility in the APRI system, one may contact a clinic or medical centre directly from the above-mentioned list, published by the health insurance funds, of healthcare facilities that have concluded contracts with the latter.
6. Enroll on the waiting list. If the desired healthcare facility is, however, unable to set a date and time for the service (e.g., the timetables are not published), it shall offer to register the patient on the waiting list. If the patient agrees to be enrolled, with the occurrence of an available appointment time the health facility automatically assigns a date and time for the listed person to receive the service according to his/her request queue and notifies him/her accordingly. In any case, all patients who make a call or come to the facility in person shall be registered by the health facility at the time of their request.
7. Cancel the appointment if one unable to come. Sometimes one has to change their plans due to unforeseen circumstances but it is important to make sure that others do not suffer as a result. If one is unable to see one's doctor at the scheduled time, one shall inform the medical facility as soon as possible. The doctor will avoid wasting his/her precious time and may be able to see another patient who is looking for a quicker access to a medical service.
(Freepik photo)
Information of Vilnius THIF
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Last updated: 09-05-2023
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