First Reading of the Draft Act on Amendments to the Organization of Health Care Services Act and Other Acts (401 SE)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary sitting
Date: 2024-04-18 02:05
Total Speeches: 12
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 18m
AI Summaries: 12/12 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Analysis
Summary
The session continued after a short break with the sixth item on the agenda, which was the first reading of Bill 401 (Act amending the Health Services Organisation Act and other acts). Minister of Health Riina Sikkut introduced the content of the bill, focusing on changes to primary healthcare. The most important points included the terminological change of replacing "general medical care" with "family doctor care," granting family doctors the right to provide services outside their roster in exceptional cases, and the legalisation of the concept of a health center. Additionally, the bill established state fees for tobacco producers for notifying about the introduction of their products to the market and maintaining them in the register, in order to shift costs from taxpayers to producers. Karmen Joller, rapporteur of the Social Affairs Committee, confirmed that the discussion was constructive and consensual, supporting the content of the bill. In the round of negotiations, Liisa-Ly Pakosta (Eesti 200) sharply criticized the planned state fees, considering them "shamelessly modest." She emphasized that Estonia is the only EU country that has subsidized tobacco producers with taxpayer money until now. Pakosta proposed raising the state fee for product registration to at least 5,000 euros to collect hundreds of millions of euros for the state budget and account for the socio-economic impact of smoking. After the negotiations concluded, it was decided to end the first reading of Bill 401. The next items on the agenda (Bills 330 and 370) were not addressed due to the absence of the presenters.
Decisions Made 1
The first reading of Bill 401 was concluded. The deadline for submitting amendments was set for 5:15 p.m. on May 2.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas stated that we would be moving on to the sixth item on the agenda, but first, we should take a quick five-minute break, as we have worked diligently and deserve a little rest.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas announces the sixth item on the agenda—the first reading of Draft Law 401—and asks Minister of Health Riina Sikkut to speak briefly, focusing primarily on Draft Law 401.
Terviseminister Riina Sikkut
AI Summary
Riina Sikkut is introducing Bill 401, which focuses on developing family doctor care. The changes include: replacing the term "general medical care" with "family doctor care"; granting family doctors the option to treat patients not on their official roster, with appropriate compensation; allowing the Health Insurance Fund (Tervisekassa) to reallocate patient lists to another roster and utilize health centers when necessary. The overall objective is to continue the primary care model, even though the definition of a health center has not yet been codified at the legislative level.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Jüri Ratas said that everything was clear, and asked if there was anything else.
Terviseminister Riina Sikkut
AI Summary
Riina Sikkut stated that in addition to the primary healthcare reforms, a state fee of 740 euros will be introduced for the notification of placing tobacco products on the market, and 60 euros annually for maintaining that notification. This cost will be borne by the manufacturer, not the taxpayer. Furthermore, technical amendments related to liability insurance and prison healthcare will be introduced. The State Agency of Medicines will also be authorized to market medicinal products without a marketing authorization on its own initiative, without needing to wait for an application from a professional organization. Finally, given the large number of amendments, a mandatory follow-up evaluation will be implemented by 2028 to assess the impact of the primary care changes and determine whether they should be continued, terminated, or modified.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Ratas thanked the minister for the thorough and substantive report, asked questions that received no answers, and invited Karmen Joller, a member of the Social Affairs Committee, to the Riigikogu rostrum for a presentation.
Karmen Joller
AI Summary
Karmen Joller stated that the discussion regarding this draft legislation was very friendly and constructive, addressing the size of the state fees, the organization of taking over the register, and the wording of the law. Several technical proposals were made, but as a family doctor, she is convinced that this is an excellent law that promotes primary healthcare, and the decisions reached were consensual.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Riigikogu Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas thanked the rapporteur, stated that there were no questions, declared the debate open, and invited Liisa-Ly Pakosta, the representative of the Eesti 200 faction, to the podium.
Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
Liisa-Ly Pakosta stresses that Estonia is the only EU member state that has not taxed tobacco producers, having instead paid for their profits using taxpayer money. She seeks, through the draft bill, to establish a state levy on tobacco product manufacturers in order to comply with EU directives and cover the costs associated with notification, inspection, database maintenance, and reporting of sales volumes.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas said not to apologize, adding that according to the law, you are perfectly entitled to take it.
Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
A presentation by Eesti 200 recommends increasing the state fee on tobacco products and the charges for all registration procedures, setting the minimum state fee at 5000 euros. Furthermore, these fees should be applied to all tobacco products, including heated products and nicotine-based products, in order to cover healthcare costs and rectify the injustice where the state has previously subsidized tobacco manufacturers.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas concluded the debates, announced that the first reading of Bill 401 was finished and that the discussion of agenda items 330 and 370 could not be carried out without attendance, and set the deadline for submitting amendments as May 2nd at 17:15.