Health care system in Lithuania: Access and sustainability

This second chapter addresses the sustainability of Lithuania’s health system and the extent to which it is able to provide access to care. Public spending on health was protected during the financial crisis and has been generally kept in check, which, along with available expenditure projections, suggests the system is on a financially sustainable path. Despite high out-of-pocket spending, available data suggest access to services is reasonable and socio-economic differences less pronounced than in other countries. Pharmaceutical policy is a domain where Lithuania, like most countries, struggles to balance considerations of access and sustainability.