Inquiry regarding free dental care for children (no. 662)
Session: Fifteenth Riigikogu, Fourth Session, Plenary Session
Date: 2024-11-18 19:08
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 11
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 17m
AI Summaries: 11/11 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The agenda item concerned a question submitted to the Riigikogu regarding free dental care for children (question number 662), submitted on October 24, 2024. The purpose of the question was to obtain answers from the Minister of Health regarding the sustainability of funding and accessibility of the children's dental care service. The absence of a national order and the redistribution of funding have created a situation where some healthcare providers are unable to continue the free service as previously planned. The questioners emphasized that children are visiting the dentist insufficiently, and that programs and information campaigns (such as Suukool) are proliferating in order to increase participation.
The second part of the discussion focused on the responses offered to Minister Riina Sikkut: the organization of funding and the mechanisms for amending contracts throughout the year, the 62% level of children’s participation, and the need for the possibility of additional funding should participation increase. The impact of liability insurance on dental care services and a potential price increase were also discussed, and attention was paid to the development of geriatric dental care and state-level support mechanisms. Overall, the agenda item reflected an attempt to alleviate points of conflict and improve the accessibility of children's dental care, while defining initial discussion outputs and next steps to ensure the sustainability of healthcare service provision.
Decisions Made 1
No formal decisions were made regarding the agenda item. The discussion and the minister’s responses provided an informative overview of the current situation and possible courses of action, but no specific contractual or budget-related binding decisions were approved by the party.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Lauri Laats, a member of the Riigikogu, whose speech and questions dominated the proceedings during the agenda item. His role could be considered a “presenter of activity and questions”; party affiliation is not explicitly stated in the documents, so his position is assessed as other (as a member of the Riigikogu from outside the ruling coalition).
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
In accordance with the Riigikogu's will, the following agenda item on free dental care for children is a parliamentary inquiry, which was submitted on 24 October 2024 by Lauri Laatsi, Aleksei Jevgrafovi, Vadim Belobrovtsevi and Vladimir Arhipovi, to which Health Minister Riina Sikkut responds, and on behalf of the inquirers this is presented by Riigikogu member Lauri Laats.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats announced that on October 24 a parliamentary inquiry was submitted to the Minister of Health Riina Sikkut on the topic of free dental care for children, because at the end of October it became clear that funding from the Health Insurance Fund would end, and many health care facilities and dental clinics could not continue providing dental care under the national contract, therefore five important questions were prepared and submitted to the minister to obtain answers.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Vice-Speaker Toomas Kivimägi thanked and invited Riina Sikkut, the esteemed Minister of Health, to answer the inquirers' questions during the Riigikogu's Question Time.
Terviseminister Riina Sikkut
AI Summary
Riina Sikkut said that in 2024, 49 million euros were allocated for pediatric dentistry, but the actual expenditure is 42.6 million, and the contract volume will be adjusted during the year as needed; in the second half of the year about 1.6 million euros were redirected to ensure equal access for children and preventive visits twice a year; currently pediatric dentistry coverage is about 62%, and if it rose to 75%, about 22 million euros in additional funding would be required; from November, the liability insurance requirement for healthcare facilities comes into force, whose impact on prices is small, and the main concerns are the lack of regular visits and the level of complaints about the quality of dental care.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanks everyone and asks Lauri Laats.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats asks whether 49 million euros for children's dental care are sufficient, how it will be ensured that children reach a doctor (has outreach work been carried out), whether the state can by the end of this year find the missing 22 million euros, and how the additional expenditure affects liability insurance and whether corresponding analyses have been conducted.
Terviseminister Riina Sikkut
AI Summary
Riina Sikkut said that the coverage of children's dental visits is increasing due to rising awareness and reminders for parents, and free dental care applies until the age of 19, but no budget is planned for 100% coverage, because the actual extent of the contracts will become clear at the start of the new year, and currently there is over 6 million euros that may be left over by the end of the year.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
They emphasize that older people have more health problems, and they ask the government what plans there are to reimburse pensioners' dental care or to provide discounts.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi invited Vadim Belobrovtsev to speak.
Terviseminister Riina Sikkut
AI Summary
Riina Sikkut said that she does not agree with the claim that dental care for the elderly is more important than that for children, and she emphasized that the state has invested in the dental health of both children and the elderly: from this year the elderly dental subsidy has risen to €105 (previously €85), the copayment has fallen to 12.5 percent, municipalities compensate additionally, and since about 37,000 people wear dentures, the denture subsidy of €260 over a three-year period remains in place and is actively used.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanked, said that there were no questions, opened and closed the negotiations, and announced that the agenda item had been concluded.