Expanding early rehabilitation services for children with developmental disorders
More early rehabilitation services for children with developmental disorders will be provided as of 1 April. Procedures for the provision of these services have already been renewed, fees for consultations have been increased, prices for new services have been calculated, informs the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) under the Ministry of Health. It is estimated that additionally EUR 2 million will be needed to finance a renewed package of services.
New services of a doctor social pediatrician
Early rehabilitation services for children with developmental disorders are prescribed for children up to 7 years old. They start with a consultation of a doctor providing this service, as of April of this year, it is known as a consultation of a doctor social pediatrician. A family doctor or other specialist, who established child’s developmental disorder, may issue a referral for a consultation of a doctor social pediatrician. There is a possibility to provide remote consultations of a doctor social pediatrician, if needed. In presence of any indications, this particular doctor selects and prescribes early rehabilitation services.
Also, new services of a doctor social pediatrician – extended consultation of a doctor social pediatrician and long-term observation of a doctor social pediatrician have been introduced since 1 April.
Extended consultation of a doctor social pediatrician is a longer consultation of a specialist (1.5 hour), when special diagnostic and therapeutic methods are applied (for instance, assessment of general motor skills, feeding function, sleep disorders etc.). Extended consultation of a doctor social pediatrician will be provided in five regional early rehabilitation centers (in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Panevėžys).
A service of a doctor social pediatrician’s long-term follow-up will be provided to patients up to 18 years old, when a mental disorder, mixed developmental disorders, diverse developmental disorders, congenital spinal cord hernia, cerebral palsy or other paralytic syndromes have been diagnosed. All doctors social pediatricians of the country will be able to provide this service.
Larger payment for consultations from a specialist team
In order to improve access to early rehabilitation services, procedure for the provision of consultations from a specialist team has been changed and fees for these services have increased in more than 70 %. Previously, a child was limited to two consultations from a specialist team of early rehabilitation for children with developmental disorders, but as of April of this year, the child will be able to have two simple and two extended consultations with the team.
A consultation with a specialist team of early rehabilitation for children with developmental disorders will be provided by a doctor social pediatrician and at least one member of this team of specialists – physiotherapist, occupational therapist, clinical speech therapist, medical psychologist, social worker and a nurse. Treatment institutions providing early rehabilitation services in the outpatient may provide the service.
Extended consultation with early rehabilitation specialist team will be provided by a physician social pediatrician and at least two members of this team. This service will be provided in five regional early rehabilitation centers.
Early rehabilitation in the day inpatient facility
Seeking to reduce the need of inpatient services and increase access to day inpatient services, a new early rehabilitation day inpatient service “child’s development C” will be provided in the university centers of early rehabilitation. This service is intended for children diagnosed with a complex developmental disorder and accompanied by mental, vision, hearing and physical disorders but without inpatient treatment needed. The patient is followed-up at a day inpatient facility up to 8 hours per day, at least four consultations of early rehabilitation specialists are provided.
Formerly provided services “child’s development A” and “child’s development B” will be continued in all the institutions providing outpatient services of early rehabilitation.
Preliminary estimates of the NHIF show that additionally about EUR 2 million from the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund (CHIF) will be needed to cover for all the services of children’s early developmental rehabilitation.
It is reminded that if a referral is made to a treatment institution having a contract with the territorial health insurance fund on the provision and payment of services, the services of children’s development early rehabilitation are paid from the CHIF.
(Freepik photo)
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Last updated: 09-05-2023
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