The Estonian Health Insurance Fund (EHIF) is facing a financial crisis, but outgoing director Rain Laane has proposed a plan to steer the healthcare system back on track. The plan involves implementing a new system with AI tools to help family doctors manage larger practice lists. Laane presented the plan to the EHIF’s supervisory board, which backed the fund’s treatment funding plans for the coming years. The plan is expected to improve the fund’s finances by €71 million next year, with further growth in the following two years.
The EHIF expects to finish this year €43 million above budget and free up roughly €70 million in next year’s resources. The plan also relies on tapping into €106 million in retained earnings. Laane noted that the healthcare budget increases every year, and with smarter management, the fund can strengthen primary care and improve data management. The new system will use AI to save doctors time on routine tasks, such as drafting discharge summaries, and provide a better overview of a patient’s treatment history.
The rollout of the new system will be done in agreement with family doctors and will start at a moderate pace once the system is ready. Laane believes that family doctors who take on larger practice lists and show that it can be done will set an example for others to follow. The plan is also driven by the need to address the shortage of family doctors, with more doctors retiring than entering the field. This has led to an increase in practice lists for remaining doctors, and the new system is designed to help them manage this increased workload.
Laane’s resignation as director of EHIF was formally approved during the supervisory board’s meeting, and he will remain in office until August 31 to ensure a smooth handover to the acting director. The EHIF’s supervisory board discussed healthcare funding and backed the fund’s treatment funding plans for the coming years. Overall, the plan aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Estonia’s healthcare system, and Laane is confident that it will help to address the financial crisis facing the EHIF.