Mighty mess made by social ministry

Photo: Erakogu

What would you feel like when posted a bill six times larger than the month before, in January while not having been notified? Just what faced hundreds of parents of disabled children this week. 

Mother of Marie, aged nine and with severe disability, could not believe her eyes. In December, the technical aids rental company asked for €30. This month’s invoice read €118.  

«Had I known of the price hike, I’d have taken part of the aids back in December,» said Ms Härm, but went on to admit that all are needed...  

«All parents are panicking,» said Ms Härm and the minimum of 300 parents renting aids for children from Invaru would be likely to agree.

Reference price raised

True, the rental company Invaru had raised prices – board member Lauri Leinuste said by 20–25 percent –, and that was not notified. But more than that, the parents were mystified by the compensation rate cited on the invoices. By law, the discount had been 90 percent. Now, it was down to 20 percent.

As explained by Mr Leinuste, this is due to a regulation ratified in the final days of December and in force since January 1st.  Till now, technical aids had no reference prices. Now they do. I.e. with a €20 rental price parents only had to cover a couple of euros thanks to the 90 percent benefit. With a €10 reference price now imposed on that aid, people have to pay €12 i.e. 60 percent instead of former 10 percent.

This is a simple example but the real life is many times more complicated and the math enough to make the parents dizzy.

Mr Leinuste said the reference prices will usually not touch the technical aids for adults as these are cheaper – the elderly abound in the world and the aids are produced en masse while few are the handicapped kids.

In Estonia, technical aids are used by some 70,000, including about 1,200.

Yesterday, it got heated at the social ministry as all the stories begun to pour in. By evening, a promise was issued publicly to have all these cases treated as exceptions and a solution found.

Below zero communication

As admitted by all parents contacted by Postimees, they were unaware of the effect on the purse. True, the social insurance board website had featured a text, yet in legalese unintelligible for us humans.   

The board’s PR chief Regina Salmu begs to differ, claiming a whole list was informed: organisations for the disabled, local governments, county governments, social workers, and technical aid firms.

Why no simple notification to the disabled themselves?

Ms Salmu says they lack a list – the technical aid companies have these. The state is yet to draw up own list. The official went on to explain that this is transition time and the mess initially inevitable.

Spokesperson for the handicapped, Anneli Habicht said it is a sorry mess indeed. She acknowledged the technical aids companies have with the changes come under heavy obligations and she advised the parents not to hurry with paying the bills – waiting until the solution is found.  

Speaking for the mobility disabled, Auli Lõoke said the amendment featured some good as making the technical aids distribution national and not local, thus broadening the options of choice between providers.  

This has indeed been emphasised by social ministry and the minister Margus Tsahkna. As highlighted by the ministry’s website front page promising the customers ease and efficiency. Not a word about the money, though.    

Meanwhile, the message of the options has failed to reach the people. By last night, at least the social insurance board promised to help the parents now burdened with mega bills to find cheaper rental providers.

The board knew not who else would be raising prices. Mati Rohtlaan, head of Egero – a firm a lot younger and smaller than Invaru – said they had no plans to raise prices, and that they were aware of the changes as these had been talked about for years and the essence made clear. «We have planned our operations accordingly,» he said.

Mr Rohtlaan viewed the change as a chance to increase ranks of clients by offering better prices.

Red tape added

Invaru’s Lauri Leinuste said they had been telling the ministry since summer that the regulation had to come sooner.

«All documents should have been ready in July but they were not. Well we made proposals for corrections then. In mid-November Invaru, ITAK, Gadox and Tervise Abi sent joint address to the minister to have the changes postponed as preparations were impossible,» he recalled.

«The state totally failed to inform the clients and the outworking of reference prices have not been considered,» said Mr Leinuste. He said the reference prices were reckoned by 2014 price lists and additional obligations laid on companies have not been taken into account.

The additional obligations are time of use set for technical aids, maintenance requirements and replacements to be secured for the maintenance period, entry of aids into state database etc.  

«Loads of added red tape,» said Mr Leinuste. He admitted they knew the big bills would spell trouble. «We do feel for the kids, but the requirements are upon us by the ministry and as a business we can’t just say okay we write it off.»

Anyway, yesterday got Invaru the needed limelight and an agreement with social insurance board that the latter will be cooperating upon receiving client information from the company.

Social security minister Margus Tsahkna was not available for comments during the day.