The Bill on Amendments to the Health Care Services Organisation Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (481 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the first reading in the Riigikogu plenary assembly. It establishes the bases for persons with health insurance in Estonia to receive compensation, to the extent determined at the national level, for health care services consumed, medicinal products subject to prescription issued and medical devices sold on the basis of a medical device card in other European Union member states, as well as possibilities of restricting the receiving of compensation and the provision of health care services. In addition, the regulation concerning participation in the provision of health care services is extended to the provision of pharmacy services upon the issuing of medicinal products subject to prescription and to the selling of medical devices on the basis of a medical device card.

A national contact point for cross-border healthcare will be established for informing of the changes involved in the transposition of the Directive. The Bill also establishes the basis for reimbursement of health care services provided outside the waiting list, as the Minister of Social Affairs may establish by a Regulation, on proposal of the supervisory board of the health insurance fund, the list of health care services and the procedure for reimbursement of the costs of such health care services as a contractual partner of the health insurance fund who is operating in Estonia has provided to an insured person outside the waiting list. The term for submission of motions to amend before the second reading of the Bill is 16 October.

The Bill on Amendments to the Local Government Organisation Act and the Local Government Associations Act (456 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Faction, was dropped from the legislative proceeding at the first reading in the Riigikogu. 46 members of the Riigikogu supported the rejection of the Bill at the first reading and 25 were against. Thus, the Bill was dropped from the legislative proceeding.

The verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)