Patients file more healthcare claims as rejections rise
Wednesday 28th October 2026 on 09:45 in
Estonia
Claims against healthcare providers have risen since Estonia introduced its patient insurance system nearly two years ago, while the number of rejected claims has also increased, ERR reports.
Insurers received more than 400 claims in the system’s first full year and more than 660 in the first 10 months of this year, said Kairi Ruhno, head of service at the Health Board’s healthcare services department. The former healthcare quality expert committee received about 200 appeals a year.
Ruhno said a treatment outcome that falls short of a patient’s expectations does not automatically mean there was a medical error or an insurance case. But patients must have a clear, effective way to seek compensation when they have suffered actual harm. All healthcare providers required to carry patient insurance have signed contracts, she said.
Ruhno said more work is needed to explain the system to both providers and patients, including which cases qualify for compensation and how patients can exercise their rights.
More insurers have entered the market, which may ease providers’ costs and give them more options. Insurance broker IIZI’s patient insurance expert, Liisi Murde-Parvelt, said Lloyd’s has joined PZU, ending PZU’s sole-provider position and bringing prices down. She said pricing remains difficult because the product is new and there is little historical data to draw on.
Some hospitals have faced insurance premiums amounting to hundreds of thousands of euros while shouldering claims themselves because of high deductibles, sometimes €50,000. Murde-Parvelt said providers may choose a high deductible to reduce premiums, but should first assess what they can afford to pay out of pocket.
Some newer policies also let providers pay for extended coverage only when they stop operating or switch insurers, helping smaller practices keep regular costs down. Because the statutory liability period is 10 years, it will take time for a complete picture of claims and costs to emerge.