Compulsory health insurance (CHI)

Compulsory  health insurance (CHI) is a system of personal health care and economic measures established by the state according to the provisions of the Law on health insurance of the Republic of Lithuania, which guarantees the provision health care services and payment of the costs of these services to persons insured with compulsory health insurance in the event of an insured event, as well as reimbursement of the costs of the purchase of medicines and medical aids and the rental of medical equipment (devices) necessary for the provision of home health care by the insured.

The Law on Health insurance and other legal acts enshrine a model of health insurance based on the principles of universality and solidarity.

The principle of universality is understood to mean that all citizens and foreigners of the Republic of Lithuania permanently residing in Lithuania, as well as persons who are legally employed and temporarily residing in Lithuania must pay health insurance contributions, and in case of an insured event have the right to receive personal health care services paid for from the budget of the fund.

The principle of solidarity means that the CHI contributions of all persons employed or otherwise engaged in economic activity and of any kind of income, as well as from the state budget, contribute to the accumulation of CHI funds. This creates preconditions for the insured to pay for the health care services provided by the CHI. This principle also means that a person contributes to the financing of the health sector according to his / her abilities (in one case with higher CHI contributions, in another - with lower contributions), but all insured persons are guaranteed equal access to health care services.

The CHI is administered by the Compulsory Health Insurance Council, the National Health Insurance Fund under the Ministry of Health and the Territorial Health Insurance Fund.