Elderly people are entitled to both outpatient and inpatient care, including geriatric care. If you have a health problem, you should first consult your family physician, who will decide whether you need home care or hospital care.
Here, you can find information on dental care and denture benefits.
Here, you can see the details of the current account submitted to the Health Insurance Fund.
Dental care and denture benefit
The dental care benefit for old-age pensioners or people receiving a pension for incapacity for work, people with partial or no work ability, and elderly people over 63 years of age is up to 105 euros per year. The benefit can only be used in dental care institutions that have concluded a contract with the Health Insurance Fund.
The amount of the benefit will be deducted from the medical invoice as soon as it is paid, and you do not need to submit any applications or documents afterwards.
The patient has to pay 12.5% of the price of the services. The benefit applies only to essential dental care. For all services not included in the list of reimbursable services, the full price must be paid.
The dental care benefit can be used in full in one calendar year and any unused amount cannot be carried over to the next year. When the year changes, a new benefit calculation starts.
Benefit for dentures
Once every three years, the Health Insurance Fund will reimburse 260 euros of the amount payable for dentures to people receiving the pension for incapacity for work or the old-age pension, people with health insurance who are over 63 years of age, and people with partial or no work ability.
The denture benefit can only be used in dental care institutions that have concluded a contract with the Health Insurance Fund. The amount of the discount will be deducted from the treatment invoice at the moment of payment at the dentist. You do not have to fill in or submit any applications or other documents for the Health Insurance Fund.
You can check the amount of the benefit and the balance on the state portal www.eesti.ee under ‘Dental care benefit and denture benefit information’.
You can read more about the dental care benefit and the denture benefit on the website of the Health Insurance Fund.
Technical aids
A technical aid is a product or device which enables improving or preserving an individual’s physical or social independence, their occupational performance, and work ability. Technical aids include diaper, crutches, wheelchairs, diapers, commode chairs, shower chairs, hearing aids, etc. The aids can be purchased or rented on the basis of an aid certificate.
Individuals who are in retirement age are entitled to obtain technical aids at a discount provided by the state based on the list of technical aids (307.46 KB, PDF, in Estonian). The list specifies which technical aids have been made available by the state at a discount, in which amounts they can be purchased, within which period of time, and how high are the reference prices of the aids.
The reference price is the price based on which the discount for the aid is calculated.
An aid certificate is required to buy or rent a technical aid at a discounted price. Contact your family physician, medical specialist, nurse, occupational therapist, physical therapist, or midwife for the certification. Different specialists are authorised to issue aid certificates for different technical aids; further information is available in the list of technical aids (307.46 KB, PDF, in Estonian). The technical aid certificate must be on paper; a digital prescription is not suitable for the certificate.
The aid certificate can be taken directly to the company providing technical aids. An identity document must also be presented. The discount from the state can only be used at those companies which have concluded a contract with the Social Insurance Board. The list of companies providing technical aids (80.98 KB, XLSX, in Estonian) is available on the website of the National Social Insurance Board.
As of 1 December 2020, personal technical aid cards are no longer required. It is not required for receiving discounts and it is no longer necessary to apply for the certificate.
Information about your technical aids is available in the self-service environment of the Social Insurance Board.
You can read more about paying for technical aids and contacting companies on the website of the Social Insurance Board.
Medical device
Medical devices are medical aids (instrument, apparatus, appliance, software, etc.) which can cure illnesses and injuries or prevent the disease from getting worse.
The need for a medical device is determined by the attending physician. If you have been diagnosed with a disease that requires a medical device listed in the Health Insurance Fund’s list of medical devices, your attending physician will provide you with a digital medical device card. Once the medical device card is ready, you can immediately go to the pharmacy or go directly to the medical device dealer to purchase the medical devices you have been assigned at a discounted rate.
The list of medical devices reimbursed by the Health Insurance Fund can be found on the Fund’s website.
The list of medical devices and orthosis vendors can be found on the Health Insurance Fund’s website.
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation is usually performed in a health care facility where it is determined to the possible maximum extent what the recovery options are and how they can be achieved. Rehabilitation is also provided by sanatoriums.
The attending physician prepares an application for the person in need of treatment for submission to the regional Client Service of the Social Insurance Board. The regional office of the Social Insurance Board organises the issue of forms for disabled children, non-working disabled persons, and non-working pensioners.
Rehabilitation includes:
- physical activation and tone enhancement
- social activation and communication
- corrective gymnastics.
Information on rehabilitation reimbursement can be found on the website of the Health Insurance Fund.
Related articles
- Social services
- Technical aids
- Rehabilitation service
- My prescriptions
- Medical care
- Benefit for pensioners living alone
References
Services
- Health Portal
- My dental care benefit and denture benefit information
- My personal data in the Health Insurance Fund
- My prescriptions
- Self service portal of Social Insurance Board