TALLINN - The steward of the health system in Estonia is the Ministry of Social Affairs. The organizational structure in the health system is quite advanced and comprises numerous players, including various agencies under the Ministry of Social Affairs, Health Care Board (HCB), National Institute for Health Development (NIHD), Health Protection Inspectorate (HPI)); public independent bodies (the EHIF); mainly publicly owned hospitals under private regulation and private primary care units; and various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and professional associations.

Some Estonian experts claim that the quality of medical care in Estonia is excellent. Private hospitals generally offer a higher standard of service than public hospitals, and most of the best doctors practice in private medical facilities.

They state that prices for surgery in Estonia can be 60 to 70 percent lower than for corresponding treatment in another European country. According to some Estonian surgeons, the recession means that some people are postponing cosmetic surgery, because having it performed locally can prove to be expensive. An alternative is to look towards other countries.

According to Plastic Surgery Estonia, lots of people are looking at Estonia when they decide to arrange their cosmetic surgery abroad. One of the reasons are the affordable prices here, as well as talented and experienced surgeons.