One of the key missions of the American Chamber of Commerce in Lithuania (AmCham Lithuania) is to serve as a leading voice for American and international businesses in the country. A great example of this is the AmCham Healthcare, Medtech & Biotech Innovations Committee, which has published a White Paper highlighting the critical barriers that innovative health technologies – apart from pharmaceuticals – currently face in Lithuania. The paper was presented and discussed today during the AmCham Healthcare, Medtech & Biotech Innovations Committee meeting with Vice-Minister of Health Daniel Naumovas.
Through this initiative, AmCham opens a new chapter in the “business-to-health sector” dialogue, aiming to strengthen Lithuania’s healthcare system and enable patients, providers, and society as a whole to benefit from health innovations.
- Strategic ambitions in healthcare innovation
By initiating discussions and proposing solutions, AmCham aims to achieve at least three goals:
- Improve the attractiveness of Lithuania’s health-care sector to innovations not limited to pharmaceuticals and medical devices;
- Initiate an open discussion on the holistic National Health Insurance Fund’s allocation for innovation (such as, digital health solutions); and
- Unify and simplify the policy environment to support how Lithuania’s health sector incorporates innovation into its development.
Through these efforts, AmCham seeks to foster a more innovative, efficient, and future-ready health sector in Lithuania.
- Key challenges in the reimbursement system
AmCham has identified systemic shortcomings in how new health technologies (apart from pharmaceuticals) are evaluated and reimbursed in Lithuania. For instance, the existing framework of medical devices reimbursement is outdated, cost-centric, and lacks quality-based criteria, leading to limited patient access to innovation and discouraging high-quality product entry into the market. Another example is that no reimbursement pathway exists for digital health solutions, despite strong international evidence of their cost-effectiveness and patient benefits.
- Recommendations and call for action
AmCham proposes to review the current reimbursement system of medical devices and to create a transparent, evidence-based, and innovation-friendly reimbursement process, strengthening the ecosystem of healthcare innovations. AmCham therefore calls on stakeholders and regulators to engage in constructive dialogue, which will form the foundation for the needed changes in the laws governing the reimbursement of medical devices.
By aligning reimbursement with value and innovation, Lithuania can improve patient outcomes, attract investment, and build a healthcare system that is resilient, fair, and globally competitive.
AmCham Lithuania remains committed to serving as a constructive partner to public institutions and the broader healthcare community. Through continued dialogue, evidence-based recommendations, and collaboration with policymakers, AmCham seeks to help shape a healthcare ecosystem that not only embraces innovation but also ensures sustainable growth, equitable access, and long-term value for patients and society.
The full White Paper is available >> HERE >>