Practical tips

Before the EU directive on cross-border healthcare comes into force and for non-European Union countries

Since the regulations may vary from country to country and from service to service, we advise you to confirm the reimbursement conditions for each particular service and service provider before you sign an agreement with an Estonian service provider. It is already possible for a person with health insurance from one country to go for treatment to another country and have the costs of treatment reimbursed, but after the directive started to apply on 25 October 2013 in Sweden, it is much easier to do this within the European Union.

For information about reimbursement in Sweden before the directive comes into force, see here. The website of Försäkringskassa. The application form is here.

EU directive on cross-border healthcare

As long as a treatment is covered under their own national healthcare system, patients will be allowed to receive that treatment in another EU country and be reimbursed without prior authorisation. For hospital care however, under certain circumstances, a member state may decide to introduce a system in which patients require an administrative prior authorisation before seeking care abroad. Since the regulations may vary between member states, we recommend you confirm the reimbursement conditions for a particular service and service provider in your home country before you sign an agreement with an Estonian service provider. The patient will have to pay the costs to the healthcare provider abroad up front, but will have those costs afterwards reimbursed up to the amount of reimbursement they would have received for the same or similar treatment in their home national health system. Read more: Financing Treatment Abroad.

Practical questions

Our experience of treating patients from abroad has shown that it often seems difficult at first glance to travel abroad for medical treatment. Members of Medicine Estonia can help you to find the answers to all the questions that are worrying you. Please contact the service providers directly with any and all questions about treatment, treatment options and plans, consultations, appointments, the quality and safety of medicines, prices, payment terms, medical documentation, follow-up treatments, and additional services including rehabilitation, or with practical questions about medical travel issues such as transport, transfers, accommodation and accommodation for relatives, food, entertainment for visiting relatives or anything else.
You will find the list of service providers for the service you have chosen under Medical Services or on the list of Members. Please note: You should consult your own doctor before and after any operation about any restrictions on flying.

Prices

Please note that the prices indicated refer to the average prices in Estonia and are examples of estimated costs for typical cases. Since we aim to offer the best possible care for every single patient in accordance with their personal needs and medical condition, an individual cost estimate will be done by the service provider once they have got all your medical documents, or it can be done in consultation with you and your treating doctor at home. For more details, please contact the service provider.

Medical data and data protection

All relevant medical documents will be delivered in English, and by some service providers also in Finnish or Swedish on paper or electronically, on a CD, memory stick or any other format you prefer. Strict data protection regulation in Estonia means you can be sure the protection of your personal data will be guaranteed.

Claims

Any complaints about your treatment will be handled in the country where the treatment took place under the laws and procedures of that country. The Estonian legal system complies with all European Union regulations. The exact terms of each contract are a matter for you to agree with your service provider.

Additional services

Additional services are offered on an individual basis to suit the precise needs and requests of each client. Medicine Estonia does not offer a travel agency service, but most cluster members will help organise transport and transfers and visas.

Tourist information

For more about spas in Estonia and other tourism, see: www.visitestonia.com and www.estonia.eu.