The government approved the draft law on the replacement of MSEC by teams of medical practitioners

The Cabinet of Ministers proposed to the Verkhovna Rada to adopt a law that will eliminate the outdated and compromised system of medical and social expertise (MSEC) and create a digitalized system for evaluating the daily functioning of a person on the basis of the most powerful hospitals.

This was reported by the Ministry of Health.

The government approved the draft law on the introduction of assessment of daily functioning of a person, which will allow the implementation of the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) on the liquidation of MSEC.

Instead of the term "medical and social examination", the draft law introduces the term "assessment of the daily functioning of a person".

"The focus of the new process will not be on a piece of paper, but on real help that every individual needs in order to fully live and work," the Ministry of Health said.

According to the draft law, from January 1, 2025, instead of MSEC, expert teams for the assessment of everyday human functioning, consisting of practicing doctors, will work.

These teams will work in multidisciplinary, powerful medical institutions, where multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams already work. These hospitals are equipped with everything necessary for evaluation and additional examination and have a sufficient number of specialized specialists on staff, from which it will be possible to form teams based on the needs of each individual patient, the Ministry of Health noted. If necessary, the team can conduct assessments not only face-to-face at the institution, but also in absentia, remotely or with a visit to the patient.

The new system will be digitized. The doctor will be able to send the case for evaluation electronically, and its results will automatically enter the Unified Information System of the Social Sphere for further steps in rehabilitation, assessment of work capacity and, if necessary, the appointment of state benefits.

"A person will not have to go from office to office and sit in lines, carrying stacks of paper certificates," added the Ministry of Health.

Digitization will also prevent corruption and other abuses. For example, doctors will not know the patientʼs name until the evaluation, and the patient will not know the names of the doctors who will evaluate his functionality.

"This will rule out the possibility of previous corrupt agreements, including those that have recently become known," the agency noted.

The draft law provides for a number of other changes, in particular:

• there will be no need for medical advisory commissions (MCA). Treating doctors will be able to send for evaluation, and military servicemen will be able to be sent to the evaluation by doctors of the military medical commission (MMC) on the basis of clear criteria using an electronic system;
• the person will be able to involve his authorized representative in the assessment process, for example, a doctor who will be able to explain the patientʼs case;
• determine which doctors have the right to conduct evaluations and which do not;
• mechanisms for appealing the decisions of such teams will be introduced.

The new evaluation system will be financed through the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSHU).

"Such changes implement a common vision: moving away from labels based on diagnoses and moving to inclusiveness and assistance from the state individually to each person, according to their needs, to effective solutions that will help each person to live a full life with dignity," noted in Ministry of Health.

• On October 23, the Ministry of Health declared that by the end of the year, the central MSEC will be liquidated. This decision was preceded by a scandal with the head of Khmelnytskyi Regional MSEC Tetyana Krupa. She is suspected of illegal enrichment for millions of hryvnias in the case of illegal registration of disability for men. During the searches, they found millions of dollars in cash, as well as undeclared assets and millions in foreign accounts.
• Subsequently, the publication Censor.NET stated that Krupa was involved in providing disability groups to 51 officials of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Prosecutorʼs Office. Because of this, the head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Prosecutorʼs Office Oleksiy Oliynyk was dismissed at his own request, and on October 22, Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin also resigned.
• On October 29, the Verkhovna Rada supported the draft law on improving the medical and social expert commission. What it provides — read here. In addition, it became known that the current heads of MSEC will not be admitted to positions in the updated system of medical commissions. But other doctors who currently work at MSEC will be able to apply for a job at the hospital from January 1, 2025, but only on the condition of conducting medical practice.

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