Hospital information systems, Health Insurance Fund agreements
Session: 15th Riigikogu, fifth sitting, information briefing.
Date: 2025-05-14 16:10
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 10
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 11m
AI Summaries: 10/10 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The agenda covered the consolidation of hospital information systems and Health Insurance Fund contracts, which affect the accessibility, quality, and funding of healthcare services. Fragmented information systems (such as ESTER and Watson) create significant administrative costs, increase workload, and threaten data security and the workflow of medical teams. The central focus of the discussion was creating a unified or coordinated solution, phasing out outdated systems, and establishing a coordinated pricing model and funding model at the national level to reduce costs and improve reliability and cybersecurity.
The second part focused on insurance and funding, and what to expect until 2027 and by the time of the elections. Discussions revolved around maintaining the insurance of doctors’ and nurses’ salaries and addressing the Health Insurance Fund's budget deficit, which impacts the volume of hospital contracts and the accessibility of primary care services. There was also discussion about improving work organization and developing e-consultations to reduce toxic work environments and ensure patients receive the right care in a timely manner. Expectations were also being formed for the coalition agreement regarding families and the expansion of care home services.
Decisions Made 1
Decisions were not made.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker at the Riigikogu session was Aleksei Jevgrafov (pid h0h5_KKsWZc). Riigikogu position: other.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Riigikogu granted the Prime Minister a brief respite, and next, Aleksei Jevgrafov will question Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller about hospital information systems and the Health Insurance Fund contracts.
Aleksei Jevgrafov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The report highlights that Estonia suffers from the fragmentation of hospital and family physician information systems, which leads to duplication, increases development costs, and compromises security. It calls on the state to establish a unified or coordinated information system, abandon outdated solutions, and include an adequate cost component in the Health Insurance Fund's (Tervisekassa's) pricing model.
Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller
AI Summary
Social Minister Karmen Joller confirmed that the medical software problem is real and that its review is included in the coalition agreement. The plan is to start with the core software system for family doctors, integrating modules from the private sector and finding resources, although funding is limited and priorities must be defined.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar offered his thanks and invited Aleksei Yevgrafov to ask a clarifying question.
Aleksei Jevgrafov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Aleksei Jevgrafov expresses concern that the planned reduction of up to 10% in the volume of family doctors' contracts next year, coupled with the large deficit in the Health Insurance Fund, could jeopardize the availability of primary healthcare services and hospital funding. He notes that this could consequently impact the wage funds for doctors and nurses, and he asks what this situation will mean from 2027 until the next elections.
Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller
AI Summary
This means we won't be implementing widespread 10% cuts. Instead, we are reorganizing the healthcare system so that doctors and nurses can work more efficiently and patients reach the correct specialist in a timely manner. This is necessary because funding faces a deficit of roughly 150–250 million euros, or about 10%. The solution lies in mitigating the toxic work environment and poor organizational structure, improving teamwork, and implementing e-consultations to ensure patients are directed to the appropriate care provider.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman thanked [them] and announced that Vladimir Arhipov would ask the supplementary question.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
According to Arhipov, the rising cost of living has eroded many people's confidence in the future, because the elderly and those struggling financially have to choose on their shopping trips whether to buy food or pharmacy products. The state should restore this sense of security, because pensioners are the ones who built this country.
Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller
AI Summary
Social Affairs Minister Karmen Joller stressed the critical importance of a sense of security for the sake of national safety and population protection. She noted that this confidence had declined against the backdrop of Russia's attacks in Ukraine (2014 and 2022), high energy prices, and the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with rising inflation. Acknowledging the public's current insecurity, she highlighted recent increases in pensions and the improved accessibility of nursing home services, promising, in line with the coalition agreement, further improvements to the sense of security for families and the population overall.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Thank you very much. That concludes the discussion on today's sixth question.