The Liberal Movement faction in the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) has launched a formal inquiry into the Ministry of Health, citing a significant financial deficit and controversial administrative practices that critics say are destabilizing the national healthcare system. The challenge comes as the state health sector reports a €40 million shortfall for the first quarter of 2026, raising urgent questions about the sustainability of public medical services.
At the center of the dispute is the Ministry’s failure to settle accounts with hospitals and clinics for services already rendered. Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, leader of the Liberal Movement faction, expressed concern that the State Patient Fund’s inability to meet its contractual obligations may be infringing upon the legally guaranteed right of citizens to receive free healthcare. The faction is now demanding specific data on the growth of patient wait times and a list of medical institutions currently operating at a loss.
Administrative Legality and Retroactive Orders
A primary point of contention involves the Health Minister’s continued use of retroactive administrative orders. On January 7th of this year, the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania ruled that three previous orders issued by Minister M. Jakubauskienė were illegal. The court found that these orders violated the principles of openness, transparency, and efficiency enshrined in the Law on Legislative Frameworks.
Despite this judicial rebuke, the Liberal faction alleges that the Minister continues to sign orders backdated to previous periods. Critics argue that managing the public health sector through retroactive decrees creates a climate of legal uncertainty. For hospitals, this means financial planning is based on shifting sands, while for patients, it translates to a lack of clarity regarding their rights and access to treatment.
The Paradox of Abolished Co-payments
The current crisis follows a major policy shift last year when the Ministry of Health abolished patient co-payments for medical services. At the time, the administration argued that removing these fees would shorten patient queues and make healthcare more accessible. However, medical institutions are reporting the opposite trend: wait times for specialists and procedures are reportedly lengthening as the system struggles to bridge the resulting funding gap.
Liberal MPs are questioning whether the Ministry failed to plan an optimal budget for the current year, effectively leaving “financial holes” that the abolition of co-payments failed to account for. The faction’s inquiry seeks to determine if the current deficit is a result of poor forecasting or a fundamental flaw in the new funding model.
Government Response and Resource Allocation
Addressing the concerns in Parliament, Finance Minister Kristupas Vaitiekūnas maintained that the national budget remains stable on an annual basis. He suggested that the Ministry of Health would need to settle its outstanding obligations by redistributing internal resources rather than seeking additional emergency funding.
“The budget is annual—there is certainly no lack of money for anyone yet,” Vaitiekūnas stated, adding that all sectors must operate within their allocated budgets. However, the Liberal faction warns that if the current trajectory continues, the public health sector could be pushed into an unprecedented crisis, leaving more patients without timely treatment and forcing hospitals into further debt. The Ministry of Health is expected to provide a detailed response to the inquiry, including comparative data on patient queues, in the coming weeks.
Source: ELTA
Article contextPeople & topics3#5
What do you think about this article?
Reader Ideas Newsroom
Have a sharper angle for this topic? Add it to the community idea board and let readers vote it up for editorial review.
/linkComments
8+ useful words can earn +10-60 DP; shorter replies can still publish without DP.