What treatment of persons who are ill or who have recovered from Covid-19 is covered?
The National Health Insurance Fund has been receiving more and more questions, what tests are free of charge in the medical institutions for the persons, who have had Covid-19 – what services are covered by the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund (CHIF) and what are paid. Besides, the questions are asked whether the persons, who have had this difficult disease, may be eligible for free rehabilitation.
As the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) understand the worries of the convalescents about recovery of strength after having defeated coronavirus, it draws attention to the key elements related to visits to medical institutions. "We are always encouraging people to take interest in health financing issues. Actually, the legal basis is quite mixed and difficult, so sometimes it is difficult to see a clear boundary between paid and free services. However, the specialists of the Health Insurance Fund are ready to help to untangle any complicated situations," – said Deputy Director of the NHIF, Mrs. Tatjana Golubajeva. According to her, unlawful payments in the medical institutions cannot be tolerated, so publicity is the best antidote in this situation.
"Coronavirus is a treacherous infection, because some people get ill with its light form, while the others still feel complications for a while after having defeated the severe form of the infection. The Ministry of Health has been receiving numerous questions recently whether some special follow-up treatment is applied for the ones, who have recovered from coronavirus infections, and how to return to the normal life speed sooner. It is important to note that everyone in need of medical aid after having defeated the infection should refer to their general practitioners for these services, first of all," – says Mrs. Rasa Bieksiene, Head of the Department of Primary Health Care and Nursing of the Ministry of Health (MoH).
So, firstly it should be known that equal conditions and requirements for health care services are valid for all the persons, who have compulsory health insurance. This includes the persons who are ill or who have had Covid-19. When a person gets ill with coronavirus or recovers but still has some complaints, that person should refer to the general practitioner, first of all. As each treatment case is individual, the general practitioner shall assess the patient's health status in each individual case and decides, what tests should be done, according to own competence.
"It is not a rare case when the patients worried about their health want to make independent decisions about their treatment and ask the doctors to prescribe some particular tests or to refer them to a specialist doctor. The general practitioners have wide capabilities and are competent to prescribe many tests. So, you should trust general practitioners more,"– says Mrs. T. Golubajeva.
According to her, if the test is prescribed by a general practitioner, its expenses are compensated from CHIF and no extra payment can be demanded from the person. However, if the persons, who are entitled to the health care services funded from CHIF, choose to make tests on their own initiative, they have to cover their factual price themselves.
"The general practitioners may consult the doctor of any professional qualification in all the cases, when GP have doubts about the tests beyond their competence, and about health problems of the patients, who have had Covid-19, exceeding their competence," – says Mrs. T. Golubajeva. Such consultations may be also provided in remote mode.
When the patient is referred to a specialist doctor, the tests prescribed by the specialist to make the diagnosis or to correct the treatment have to be done. If the specialist prescribes no tests during the consultation and the patient chooses to have the tests done, the patient has to pay the factual price of the tests.
"If the patients are worried about persisting complications, they should do antigen or antibodies tests. It is a pity, but these tests are not funded by the State today. However, we are making all the efforts to solve this problem in the near future and so the person would not need to pay for these tests when prescribed by GP," – says MoH representative, Mrs. R. Bieksiene.
Information for the persons in actual need for rehabilitation: in order for the patients to get services of wider scope sooner after they have recovered after Covid-19 (massage, kinesitherapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy) and to get them provided closer to their place of residence, the consultations of the doctor of physical medicine and rehabilitation were reorganised to the services of outpatient medical rehabilitation of the first stage. As the services of outpatient medical rehabilitation of the first stage are prescribed in case of numerous diagnoses, including pulmonary diseases, the patients feeling consequences of coronavirus have all the possibilities to obtain this CHIF-funded treatment.
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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: 26-05-2021
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