Healthcare Resource Guide: Lithuania (2018)			Lithuania Statistics
	Summary Market Entry Current Market Trends Main Competitors Current Demand	Registration Process Barriers Trade Events CS Contacts Market Size	Capital: Vilnius Population: 2.9 million GDP: Euro 38 billion (2016) Currency: Euro Language: Lithuanian

Summary

The Lithuanian health system is a mixed system, predominantly funded from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) through a compulsory health insurance scheme, supplemented by state contributions on behalf of the economically inactive population amounting to about half of its budget. Public financing of the health sector has gradually increased since 2004 to 4.2% of GDP in 2016. The state healthcare system is intended to serve the entire population, and the Health Insurance Law requires all permanent residents and legally employed non-permanent residents to participate in the compulsory health insurance scheme (typically paying 6–9% of taxable income), without an option to opt-out.

The Ministry of Health is responsible for implementing the health system regulation through setting standards and requirements, licensing health-care providers and professionals and approving capital investments. In the 1990s many health administration functions were decentralized from the Ministry of Health to regional authorities. Sixty municipalities varying in size from under 5,000 to over 500,000 residents became responsible for managing primary and social care, and for public health activities at the local level. They also own the majority of outpatient clinics and small-to-medium sized hospitals.

The private sector plays a limited role in inpatient care, but plays a substantial role in dental care, cosmetic surgery, psychological therapy, some outpatient specialties and primary care. Since 2008, the NHIF has increased its contracts with private providers for outpatient care.

Market Entry

For successful entry into the Lithuanian market, U.S. firms will have more success if they establish a local presence, either through local agents, distributors or sales subsidiaries. All products sold in Lithuania must carry the European Conformity (CE) mark. All labeling and instruction manuals must be translated into Lithuanian. Lithuania’s customs laws and regulations follow those of the EU. Lithuania applies external EU tariffs to imports from the U.S. and other third countries. All goods sold in Lithuania are also subject to a value-added-tax (VAT) of 21%.

Current Market Trends

The best prospects for U.S. suppliers are in modern diagnostic equipment, patient-monitoring systems, high-tech surgical devices, oncology medicines, radiation treatment equipment, cardiovascular surgical devices, and nursing equipment and supplies.

Main Competitors

The majority of medical equipment, supplies and medicines are imported to Lithuania. Therefore, medical equipment represents a good prospect for foreign suppliers. U.S. medical equipment manufacturers face strong competition from EU companies. Lithuania imports medical equipment from Western Europe (mainly Germany), the United States, and Asia (Japan and China).

Registration Process

Lithuania’s regulations for medical equipment are harmonized with the European Union’s Medical Device Directives, which cover essential safety, health and environmental requirements http://ec.europa.eu/health/medical-devices/index_en.htm.

Barriers

For information on existing trade barriers, please see the National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, published by USTR and available through the following website:

https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/2016-NTE-Report-FINAL.pdf

Trade Events

Baltmedica 2017

http://www.eventseye.com/fairs-organizers/litexpo-477-1.html

Local Associations

www.amcham.lt

Lithuanian Union of Medical Workers

http://www.lgs.lt/

Innovative Medicines Producers’ Association

http://www.ltexport.info/en/imones/Inovatyvios-farmacijos-pramon%C4%97s-asociacija-IFPA/2112936

Medical Equipment producers’ Association

http://www.lmiga.lt/

Government Links:

Ministry of Healthcare

www.sam.lt

State Medicines Registration Service

http://www.vvkt.lt/lit/English

State Procurement Office

http://vpt.lrv.lt/en/

Healthcare spending (including investment)
... as percent of GDP	6.6

Hospitals, Procedures, Healthcare Professionals UN:

Number of hospitals	5
Number of hospital beds	68
Number of surgical procedures per 100,000 population	5,740
Physicians	4,33 per 1000 population
Dentists	2486

Demographics

Population	2,9 million
Life expectancy men/women	male: 69.5; female: 80.6; Average:74.9
Infant mortality	total: 3.8 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
Percent of population older than 65	19.42% (male 187,340/female 367,059) (2016 est.)
...projection, 2030
Annual deaths	14.5 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)