Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, is leading in the race as the city with the most Greenfield Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). According to the Financial Times, it has even outranked financial hubs like London, Singapore, Berlin, and Tel Aviv.

In recent times, Lithuania has won several coveted accolades as a testimony to its growing popularity among expatriates. According to the OECD Better Life Index 2019, Lithuania ranks as the sixth-best country in the world in terms of work-life balance. As per the MSPA Europe/Africa, employees in Lithuania are the fifth-happiest in all of Europe. And, most importantly, more than 150 international companies like Continental, NASDAQ, Hostinger, Uber, Hollister, CITCO, Western Union, and TransUnion are offering jobs to residents of Lithuania.

There are opportunities galore for expatriates in Lithuania. However, before you go, make sure your medical needs are taken care of. Read on for all you need to know about Lithuania’s healthcare system and how you can benefit from Lithuania expatriate health insurance.

How Does Lithuania's Healthcare System Work?

The Ministry of Health is responsible for managing the healthcare system of Lithuania. It develops the nation’s healthcare policy, manages healthcare standards, regulates healthcare workers, licenses providers, and manages capital investments.

Lithuania’s public healthcare insurance system is mandatory. It is funded by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). The main source of NHIF funding is compulsory, employment-based contributions. The NHIF collects contributions from employers across Lithuania. Collection centers are located in five regional centers: Vilnius, Panevėžys, Klaipėda, Kaunas, and Šiauliai. Economically active residents contribute approximately 9% of their income towards the NHIF.

Most residents of Lithuania depend on the NHIF’s compulsory health insurance plan, as private healthcare is very expensive in Lithuania. Lithuanian public healthcare centers under the NHIF offer standard medical treatments, and basic healthcare services are completely free.

In order to take advantage of healthcare aid, a patient needs to consult a family practitioner or general practitioner. The family practitioner provides a referral letter for further medical treatments. In other words, a patient needs a referral letter from a family practitioner to obtain the services of a specialist consultant or for hospitalization purposes.

If patients select (or require) the kind of advanced and more expensive medical services not covered under the compulsory health insurance plan, they will have to pay the difference in cost out of their own pockets.

Though Lithuania has a good public healthcare system, the system has several drawbacks. The requirement of a referral from a family practitioner to access health facilities often leads to delay in obtaining medical aid. Sometimes, family practitioners are over-burdened by a high number of medical cases. Most residents of Lithuania depend on the public healthcare system for their medical needs, straining its resources. Further, the availability of general practitioners (GPs), nursing staff, and specialist doctors in rural areas is limited. This sometimes leads to the need for medical evacuation to European countries like Switzerland, Poland, and Germany.

The Lithuanian medical system is struggling with an aging workforce, as more and more young doctors are moving to other countries. Its mental-health and psychiatric treatment centers are also underdeveloped.

Lithuania Expatriate Health Insurance

Most expats relocating to Lithuania choose to buy a Lithuania expat health insurance plan. Expatriates in Lithuania are mostly employees of local or multi-national companies, business travelers or investors, international students, or social media influencers.

International expat health insurance plans provide the safety net of different medical and travel-related insurance coverage options. As a result, you don’t have to think twice before getting private medical care, with benefits such as:

• English-speaking medical doctors, not just in Lithuania but anywhere your plan is valid
• Medical evacuations, repatriation services, air-ambulances, and medevac facilities in case of sudden illness, injury, accidents, or other unforeseen emergencies
• Advanced dental treatment, maternity treatment, and pediatric healthcare

The Benefits of Buying Lithuania Expat Health Insurance

Global coverage for globetrotters: The world is a little village for today’s business traveler. You may be in Lithuania today and France tomorrow. Does your job profile require international travel? If it does, global expat insurance is the right choice for you. Most expat insurance plans are quite modular; they let you select your scope of coverage. Consider your professional and personal travel plans, and purchase one policy that will cover you wherever you choose to visit. An international expat health insurance plan saves you the hassle of buying and managing different health insurance plans for weekend trips.

More than just the essential services: A Lithuanian expat medical insurance plan may pay for your private medical care needs, including but not limited to:

• Routine health checks
• Preventive care, including vaccinations
• Hospitalization costs for surgery, specialist consultations, and follow-up consultations
• Prescription medicines
• Rehabilitation
• Physiotherapy sessions
• Acupressure, acupuncture, and chiropractic treatments
• Dental treatment

Special coverage for families: The medical needs of an entire family are greater than those of one person. You can add dependents to your expat insurance plan and guarantee coverage for your loved ones. Plans are customizable, and you can add coverage for situations like maternity care, gynecology, pediatric care, neonatal specialist consultations, and dental care.

No barrier plans: International expat health insurance plans provide comprehensive coverage to clients of all types. National health insurance plans may not provide health insurance coverage to senior citizens or people with pre-existing medical conditions. Lithuania expat health insurance plans are available for both senior citizens and travelers with pre-existing conditions at a nominal extra cost.

When you understand your needs, you can compare plans, select only what you need, and buy the expatriate health insurance plan that offers you the appropriate coverage at a reasonable price.

DISCLAIMER: The information within this article is intended as a broad summary of benefits and services and is meant for informational purposes only. The information does not describe all scenarios, coverages or exclusions of any insurance plan. The benefits and services of an insurance plan are subject to change. This is not your policy/certificate of insurance. If there is any discrepancy between the information in this article and the language of your policy/certificate wording, the language of the policy/certificate wording will prevail.

The insurance plans available on this website are not specifically targeted towards the destination mentioned in this article. They can provide coverage while traveling away from home, according to the terms and conditions and geographic restrictions applicable to the specific plan.