In Estonia, health services and social services have so far been provided separately. They are managed by different institutions. This often creates problems when people move from one system to another.
For example, rehabilitation institutions currently do not have access to the health portal. They do not know exactly which services a person has already received. When the rehabilitation team requests health data, the person or their family must collect and submit it themselves.
The Ministry of Social Affairs wants to address these issues. They plan to create a new system where the health and social sectors would work together. For instance, there would be separate specialists, or health guides, who would help people access the necessary services.
Both rehabilitation institutions and the Chamber of Disabled People fear that rushing the reform may leave some people without services. They worry that the transition to the new system may be too fast.
The Ministry of Social Affairs plans to start using the new system in 2027. Until then, there are still many questions that need to be resolved. For example, new health guides need to be trained to help people access services.
Many institutions and stakeholders fear that the new system may not work properly. They worry that people's access to services may actually worsen with the new system. The Ministry of Social Affairs promises to help with this, but there is no detailed plan yet.