Health Care Service Provision

Persons covered by the compulsory health insurance in the Republic of Lithuania are eligible to receive health care services provided at healthcare institutions in Lithuania. Services are covered by Vilnius Territorial Health Insurance Fund (HIF) financed by the Compulsory Health Insurance. HIF signs annual agreements with healthcare institutions regarding funding of service provision and costs of the purchase of subsidised medicine or medical supplies. It means health care services are provided and medicine or medical supplies compensated by the Compulsory Health Insurance Funds if the agreement is signed.

The following persons shall be eligible for the compulsory health insurance:

• citizens of the Republic of Lithuania and foreign nationals permanently residing in the Republic of Lithuania;
• foreign nationals temporarily residing and legally working in the Republic of Lithuania, and minor members of their families;
• unaccompanied foreign minors;
• foreign nationals who have been granted with subsidiary protection in the Republic of Lithuania;
• persons to whom the law on health insurance must be applied under EU reguliations on the coordination of social security systems.

The following persons shall be regarded as persons covered by the compulsory health insurance:

• people that pay the Compulsory Health Insurance contributions (on employment contract or people pay contributions by themselves);
• people insured by the state. Mostly pensioners and children under 18.

What if not insured by the Compulsary Health Insurance?
If you are not insured, you have to find out why at the Register of Persons Eligible for the Compulsory Health Insurance. More information about the insured status and periods can be found at Vilnius Territorial Health Insurance Fund (Ž. Liauksmino st. 6, Vilnius, www.vilniaustlk.lt).

All the insured patients have equal rights for healthcare services specified in legal acts on health insurance and compensated by the Compulsory Health Insurance. Persons have to pay for themselves only when they are not covered by the Compulsory Health Insurance or the services provided are not compensated by the latter in accordance with the statutory rights.

The insured patients have to pay if they address medical specialists without a necessary referral, if they want to receive certain services without a queue and in some other rare situations. If you doubt whether you are asked to pay for services lawfully, you have to address the doctor who should explain why you have to pay. The latter should also explain possibilities to receive concrete services free of charge, unless the self-pay services are specified in the list of self-pay services approved by the Minister of Health.

If you do not receive detailed information from the doctor, please address the head of the branch.

NOTE. Children under 16 must be accompanied by parents, foster parents, carers, or patients’ representatives under the notarized power of attorney (Republic of Lithuania Law on the Rights of Patients and Compensation for the Damage to Their Health. No XI-499, 19 November 2009).