Lithuanian resorts and medical spas are entering a new phase of their activities – patients from Germany will be offered reimbursement for health services in Lithuanian medical spas. This opportunity was announced on March 1st by EU-Patienten, the national organisation for cross-border healthcare services in Germany. The organisation has issued recommendations to German compulsory health insurance organisations on the provision of health services in Lithuanian resorts. It recognises that the quality of the services provided in Lithuanian health resorts meets the requirements of German statutory health insurance bodies.
“This is extremely important and significant news for Lithuania, which has been seeking this recognition for years. Finally, our country has been included in the European health tourism maps, which is a vital recognition considering the experience of our medical spas, their approach to quality, and the competence of their staff,” said Nijolė Dirginčienė, the President of the Lithuanian Association of Resorts and the Mayor of Birštonas.
According to the data of the National Association of Medical Spa and Rehabilitation Centers, customers from Germany have always formed the largest group of foreign customers in the Association’s member states. In 2022, German customers who came to Lithuania for health purposes spent an average of 10 nights in Lithuania. Before the pandemic, the average number of nights spent by customers in Lithuanian health establishments was 12 nights.
“For many years now, German customers, even if they are not reimbursed by health insurance funds, have been choosing Lithuania for its health promotion services, because of the high quality of services, competent specialists, and our healing mud and mineral water. The German healthcare system sets very high-quality standards, so we are very pleased to receive such recognition,” says Artūras Salda, the President of the National Association of Medical Spa and Rehabilitation Centers and CEO of Eglės Sanatorium.
“We believe that with the possibility to have some of the health care costs reimbursed by the German health insurance funds, even more German citizens will choose Lithuania for health promotion services, which will help create more jobs in our country’s health resorts,” says Lina Nosevič, Executive Director of the National Association of Medical Spa and Rehabilitation Centers.
Lithuania’s health resorts treatment and wellness services are among the tourism sector areas with the greatest potential. Lithuanian health resorts, with their medical spas and health promotion facilities, are highly appreciated and well-known throughout Europe. Last year, 27% of all overnight stays by German visitors to Lithuania were spent in our country’s resorts.
