The Cabinet of Ministers approved the draft law on liquidation of the MSEC
1 November 2024 22:34
The government has approved a bill that will eliminate the MSEC from January 1. They will be replaced by teams of medical practitioners. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
The Cabinet of Ministers proposes that the Verkhovna Rada adopt a law that will eliminate the outdated and compromised system of medical and social expertise and create a digitalized system for assessing the daily functioning of a person on the basis of the most powerful hospitals of a capable network of medical institutions.
Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Lyashko explained that the ministry fully shares the dissatisfaction with the outdated, unfriendly and largely corrupt system of the MSEC.
“It’s time to replace it with a new one based on different principles. A person living with functional impairments should receive support from the state that will allow them to live, work and be fully integrated into society. This should be done in a convenient and transparent way. The reform of the MSEC enshrined in the draft law is the first and key stage in the realization of this vision,” he said.
What will replace MSEC: details of the draft law
Instead of the concept of “medical and social expertise,” the draft law introduces the term “assessment of a person’s daily functioning.” The new process will be centered not on a piece of paper, but on the real help that each individual needs to live and work fully.
According to the draft law, starting from January 1, 2025, expert teams for assessing the daily functioning of a person, consisting of practicing doctors, will start working instead of MSECs.
These teams will work in multidisciplinary, powerful medical institutions that already have multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams. These hospitals are equipped with everything necessary for assessment and additional examination and have a sufficient number of specialized specialists on staff to form teams based on the needs of each individual patient.
If necessary, the team can conduct an assessment not only in person at the facility, but also in absentia, remotely, or with a visit to the patient.
The new system will be digitalized. The attending physician will be able to send a case for assessment electronically, and the assessment results will automatically be entered into the Unified Social Information System for further steps in rehabilitation, assessment of ability to work, and, if necessary, the appointment of state benefits. People will not have to go from office to office and sit in lines carrying piles of paper certificates.
Digitalization will also prevent corruption and other abuses. For example, doctors will not know the patient’s name before the assessment, and the patient will not know the names of the doctors who will assess his or her functionality. This will eliminate the possibility of previous corrupt arrangements, including those that have recently come to light.
The draft law provides for a number of other necessary changes, in particular:
- There will be no need for medical advisory commissions (MACs). Attending physicians will be able to refer for evaluation, and military personnel will be able to be evaluated by doctors of the MCC based on clear criteria using an electronic system.
- A person will be able to involve his or her authorized representative, such as a doctor, who can explain the patient’s case.
- It has been determined which doctors are authorized to conduct the assessment and which are not.
- Mechanisms for appealing the decisions of the teams are provided.
The new assessment system will be funded through the NHSU.
The patient’s further path after the medical assessment will be in accordance with the changes that will be implemented in the social, educational, and employment sectors and will provide mechanisms for obtaining the necessary services.
