Health Care In Latvia

Current Situation And Challenges In the Future

Health Care In Latvia

Current Situation And Challenges In the Future

Ingrīda Circene

Minister for Health of the Republic of Latvia

Riga, 2012.10.17.

General Facts

Area: 64, 589 km2

Density: 34.2/km2

Population: 2,067,887

GDP per capita: US $11,620

(World Bank, 2010)

Natural growth of population: -3.71

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1Data source : Central Statistical Bureau

http://www.csb.gov.lv/statistikas-temas/iedzivotaji-galvenie-raditaji-30260.html

Population(2011)

Population(2011)

Population: 2,067,887

Males: 45.8%

Females: 54.2%

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Data source : Central Statistical Bureau

http://www.csb.gov.lv/statistikas-temas/iedzivotaji-galvenie-raditaji-30260.html

The Most Common Causes of Mortality

(per 100 000 inhab.)

The Most Common Causes of Mortality

(per 100 000 inhab.)

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Allocation of Health Care Resources

Allocation of Health Care Resources

Law on State budget – determines scale of subsidy for health care (public financing through general taxation)

Payments for health care services are determined by the Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers

Incomes of medical institutions are formed from payments for provided health care services; paid by states budget, patients’ fee and incomes from paid services

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Health Care Budget 2003 – 2013 in Comparison With GDP

Health Care Budget 2003 – 2013 in Comparison With GDP

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Public Expenditure for Health Care

2005-2011 (LVL per capita)

Public Expenditure for Health Care

2005-2011 (LVL per capita)

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Parliament

Government

Ministry of Health

Health Inspectorate

Centre for Diseases Prevention and

Control

National Health Service

Administration of financial resources,

contracts with medical institutions on provision of health care services

paid by the state; organization of cancer screening organization.

Public health analysis, surveys, statistics,

epidemiological safety, preventing diseases including infectious

and rare diseases

Supervision and control (medical care,

environmental hygiene, drinking

water, noise, cosmetics, chemicals,

drugs etc.)

Legislation

Policy planning

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Health Care Organization Health Care Organization

At present health care system is based on the residence principle 

Negative list of benefits – the state pays for all services except those that are excluded from the scope

Health care benefits are available at the state, municipal level and at private inpatient and outpatient health care institutions

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Main Challenges in the FutureMain Challenges in the Future

to improve accessibility to the primary health care;

to develop out-patient health care services; public health as the priority, especially healthy

aging; to sustain availability of reimbursed medicines; to develop new health financing model; to facilitate medical tourism to introduce well timed treatment in order to

decrease the time of illness or prevent from forecasted (predictable) disability

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To enlarge a GPs’ team by providing additional nurse for general practitioners

To increase accessibility of GPs To promote active involvement of the GPs in disease

prevention To ensure more effective management of patients with

chronic diseases To tackle the spread of infectious diseases To motivate GPs to provide broad range of health care

services to patients

Measures to Improve Accessibility of Primary Health

Care Services

Measures to Improve Accessibility of Primary Health

Care Services

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Development of the Out-patient Health Care Services

Development of the Out-patient Health Care Services

Home care shall be provided at home if patient

needs a regular (permanent) out-patient treatment Promote day hospitals Set up observation beds in emergency hospitals Evaluate pre-hospital emergency care team and their

localization points in rural areas

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Healthy AgingHealthy Aging

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Health and life expectancy are still linked to socio-economic circumstances

Tackling health inequalities requires comprehensive collaboration of the government and actions in all policy fields

Our aim is to maintain, improve and restore the health of the population of Latvia, to prolong life expectancy (incl., the reduction of the differences in life expectancy between men and women), and make the lived years of life as healthy as possible.

Other Priorities Other Priorities

Maternal and child health care; Health promotion and prevention (according to

the Public Health Strategy for 2011-2017)• health education in schools;• programme for prevention and treatment of

diseases of heart and circulatory system;• programme for prevention of diabetes;• development of the mental health care;• promotion of the cancer screening

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New Model of Health Care Financing

New Model of Health Care Financing

The concept of new model of health care financing - to link eligibility to receive health services to the payment of an earmarked income tax (or other)

Main objectives:• to motivate people to pay taxes;• to attract additional financial resources to the health sector and to

improve accessibility;• to develop a sustainable health care financing system

Increased financial resources are foreseen to be directed to the improvement of accessibility of out-patient health care services reimbursable medicinal products and to raise the salaries of medicinal professionals

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New Model of Health Care Financing II

New Model of Health Care Financing II

Acording to the proposed model there will be provided a minimum health care services for all citizens (tax payers and non-payers) - emergency medical assistance, diagnostics, treatment of particular diagnosis and compensation of 100% reimbursed medicines

Planned health care services paid by state will be provided to tax payers, persons insured by state and persons who will make the particular contributions to the state budget

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Medical TourismMedical Tourism

Products and services of health tourism in Latvia have a high added value and good exporting potential;

Development of this sector would contribute to the country’s economic growth as well as the improvement of the public welfare

Ministry of Health has contributed into the Latvia’s Tourism Marketing Strategy for 2010 to 2015 and has taken the neccessary measures to promote medical tourism in Latvia

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Thank you!Questions?Thank you!Questions?

Contribution into the health sector is a breakthrough in the economic

development!