Adults to receive dental benefits again beginning next year
According to Minister of Health and Labour Jevgeni Ossinovski, the state government has decided to reinstate adult dental benefits, and has earmarked 12 million euros for the benefit in 2017.
The Social Democratic Party’s (SDE) proposal to reinstate dental benefits for adults has been agreed upon in the government’s action program; an annual sum of 12 million euros from the state budget has already been allocated for its implementation.
“A political agreement [has been reached] that a supplementary dental benefit for adults is forthcoming,” confirmed the minister. Which procedures are to be covered by the benefit and what amount of patient contribution is expected has yet to be decided, however.
“One idea we have suggested was that the benefit would cover exactly 50 percent, i.e. that patients would have to cover half of the cost of dental care themselves,” explained Ossinovski. “In addition, we are also planning on allowing old-age and disability pensioners to use denture benefits — which currently total 255.65 euros over three years — to pay for dental procedures.”
The minister noted that the idea behind the dental benefit had already essentially been worked out together with the Estonian Health insurance Fund, and that that a corresponding draft bill should reach the Riigikogu sometime during the coming months.
According to the agreement, dental benefits would go into effect beginning the second half of 2017.
Editor: Editor: Aili Sarapik