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18-04-2024

Reminded the rights of patients and their responsibility for health

Iliustracija

18 April is the European Day of Patients’ Rights, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of patients’ rights among citizens, governmental and non-governmental organizations and members of society. The health insurance funds remind principal health-care related rights of the European Union citizens.

Emergency and planned aid are available abroad

Europeans have the right to receive emergency medical treatment in any of the countries of the European Union (EU), countries of the European Economic Area (EEA) – Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland or the United Kingdom. This is the right of residents of the afore-mentioned countries, who are covered by national health insurance.

To benefit from this guarantee, insured people need to have a document confirming their right to reimbursement of emergency medical aid expenses – the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). In case of medical emergency, the card must be presented to a medical facility belonging to the national health system of another country. These cards are issued for free by territorial health insurance funds (THIF) in Lithuania. Instead of a card, our residents can download a replacement certificate to their mobile devices. An EHIC can be ordered in advance or a certificate can be downloaded online here. To collect an EHIC, a person needs to come to the THIF, or the card can be sent by self-service parcel terminals.

EU residents are also entitled to receive scheduled treatment services during their stay in another EU country. A person insured in any of these countries who (depending on his/her state of health and the course of his/her illness) is unable to receive necessary healthcare services on time in the country in which he/she is covered by compulsory health insurance (CHI) or resides, may, with the authorization of the authority responsible, travel to another EU country to receive necessary services. If he/she is sent abroad for a specific planned treatment, the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) under the Ministry of Health issues a document S2. A special commission of the NHIF takes a decision regarding its issuance.

Payment and cost recovery are available

If you are insured in one European country but live in another one, you are entitled to free healthcare in your home country. A country, where a person is insured with social insurance, is responsible for payment of services. To exercise this right, you need to register the document S1 with the health insurance institution in your country of residence. It is issued in the country where a person is insured. NHIF issues a document S1 in our country. Lithuanian insured persons who have moved to another European country but continue to work and pay social insurance contributions in Lithuania, or who receive a pension awarded in Lithuania, may receive this.

One more opportunity – the right to the insured persons to be treated in another country and receive money paid for treatment. This right to cross-border healthcare is available in EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, but not in Switzerland and the UK. Thus, a Lithuanian resident, who is insured under the CHIF and has a doctor’s referral for a certain healthcare service, can choose whether to go to a Lithuanian medical institution for this service or go abroad at his or her own expense. If you choose to have tests, treatment, etc. in another country, you have to pay for services, and when returning, apply to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) for reimbursement. Expenses are reimbursed to the same extent and in the same order as the corresponding health care costs in Lithuania. The reimbursement amount cannot exceed the insured person’s actual costs for cross-border healthcare.

Medicines can be purchased abroad

European patients can also get a prescription, that is recognized and understood in all EU countries, so they can buy medicines outside their country of residence. 

If a person intends to buy medicines or medical aids on prescription in another European country, he/she must inform his/her doctor. The latter, depending on the medication or aid (whether reimbursable or not) to be prescribed, must indicate mandatory elements of the prescription on the appropriate form of a paper prescription. Medicines must be prescribed under the generic name of the active substance in the prescription, with a few exceptions.

If you buy a medicine or medical aid abroad, you will have to pay full price. Upon returning to Lithuania, a resident can apply to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) for reimbursement of the cost of the reimbursable medicine or medical aid within 1 year from the date of purchase in the European country.

Where there are rights, there are responsibilities too

In addition to these rights, European patients have the right to receive information on safety and quality standards in European countries and the copies of medical records, to be treated with safe medical equipment and the right to qualified healthcare staff. The European Charter of Patients’ Rights also provides patients with the right to services to prevent illness, the right to take an active part in decisions concerning their health, the right to free choice of treatments and treatment facilities, the right to privacy and confidentiality, the right to innovations and personalised treatment, the right to complain in the event of harm and other rights.

Patients are reminded by the health insurance funds that while they have many rights, they must also take personal responsibility for their health and not to forget their duties. In accordance with the Law on the Rights of Patients and Compensation of Damage, a patient must make himself/herself acquainted with the internal rules of the healthcare establishment and other documents of the healthcare establishment provided to him/her and comply with the obligations set out therein. He or she must not abuse his or her rights, he/she must take care of his or her health, cooperate with the staff of the healthcare institution, and provide them with the fullest and most accurate information possible about his or her health, any illnesses he or she has suffered, operations performed, medicines taken and being taken, allergic reactions, genetic inheritance, and any other data known to him or her and necessary to properly provide healthcare services.

A patient, receiving information about healthcare services prescribed to him/her, must confirm his/her consent or refusal in writing. He/she must treat all healthcare staff and other patients with respect and dignity, and must comply with or refuse to comply with specialist prescriptions and recommendations. The patient must inform healthcare professionals of any deviations from the prescriptions or regimen for which he/she has given their consent. It should not be forgotten that people are also responsible for their own health insurance. They should take care of it regularly, as health care services are free only for those covered by the CHIF.

(Freepik photo)

The NHIF invites you:

Last updated: 17-05-2024

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