Health insurance funds encourages to seek free mental health care
Recently, Health insurance funds have been receiving a number of inquiries regarding primary mental health care services and emotional support. People are asking, where they can get these services and how they are covered.
The costs of the primary mental health care services are covered from the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund (CHIF). Therefore, experts of Health insurance funds encourage people to use the support, offered at mental health centres, compensated from the CHIF, instead of looking for private psychologist services.
Experts of Health insurance funds note that the primary mental healthcare services are covered by allocating an annual base rate. It is paid for a healthcare institution for each registered resident every month, regardless if he/she has been visiting the healthcare institution, or not. The CHIF funds, allocated to the institution, are used for providing comprehensive mental healthcare or the registered resident.
In order to use mental healthcare services, residents must address the healthcare institution they are registered at.
According to experts, residents should inquire about their rights and opportunities to receive primary mental healthcare services free of charge in advance. If they don’t know, where could they get mental healthcare services, we suggest addressing the institution of their general practitioner.
It is also noted that all persons with compulsory health insurance may choose not only the institution, offering general practitioner services, but also a mental healthcare centre. Therefore, people that need mental healthcare services can confidently seek for them not only by phone, the internet, but also by going to mental healthcare specialists. They do not need to pay for the services, received at mental healthcare institutions if they have addressed them via the healthcare institution, where they are registered.
Experts note that mental healthcare services may be received at the chosen mental healthcare institution, where residents can register in advance or whenever they need to. The list of the institutions, offering these services in a certain municipality, should be provided by the institution of the person’s general practitioner – a polyclinic, a general practitioner centre, a doctor's office, etc.
Registering at a mental healthcare institution is easy and can be done by visiting the chosen institution (the institution of the general practitioner or a mental healthcare centre) or electronically. Applications should be submitted only if the person is registering to a new healthcare institution, offering general practitioner services, or wishing to change the institution.
Changing the institution, offering general practitioner services or a mental healthcare centre, is possible by submitting an application for another healthcare institution. Upon receiving this application, the newly-selected institution includes this person into the list of residents, receiving its services, and the medical history of such person (patient card) is transferred to the new institution in 3 business days since the date of the application.
Changing the healthcare institution earlier than in 6 months, the documentation and transfer of the medical documents to the chosen institution, is subject to a fee of 2.90 Eur. The fee does not apply to persons, coming to a stationary educational institution or upon returning to their permanent place of residence after graduation.
Contacts for emotional (psychological) support for Lithuanian residents is available on the website of Health insurance funds.
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Your questions are welcome by email [email protected] or phone: local (8 5) 232 2222, international +370 5 232 2222.
Last updated: 04-11-2021
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