How much can cholesterol medication cost a pensioner per year in Latvia

People with elevated cholesterol typically need medication for years rather than months, so even a modest monthly co-payment adds up to a meaningful sum over time. This is especially relevant for seniors, who often also need treatment for other chronic conditions.

For lipid metabolism disorders, the state compensation rate in Latvia is 75%. However, this percentage is calculated not from the full price of whichever drug a patient chooses, but from the reference price set for that medication group. If a patient opts for a pricier brand, they must cover the difference themselves — meaning there is no single annual figure that applies to everyone.

Example calculations

Using a simplified calculation: if a doctor prescribes one 20 mg atorvastatin tablet daily (the "Atoris" brand, a 30-tablet pack costing 4.05 euros), the annual cost would be around 49 euros. With a straightforward 75% compensation, the patient's share would be about 12 euros a year — just over one euro a month.

A different statin shows a larger gap: the "Rosuvacard" 20 mg rosuvastatin pack costs 9.06 euros. A year's course would be worth around 110 euros, with the patient's theoretical share after 75% compensation reaching about 28 euros annually.

Set against pension income

Latvia's 2026 state budget projects an average old-age pension of 688 euros per month, while the average pension actually paid out in May was 663 euros. Against that backdrop, the co-payment for a single cheap statin looks like just a small percentage of one month's pension.

However, seniors' real medication costs rarely stop at one cholesterol drug — additional medicines for blood pressure, diabetes or heart conditions can push the combined annual total considerably higher. There is also a 0.75-euro pharmacist service fee for first-time prescriptions, though it does not apply to 75%-compensated medicines priced under 10 euros.

Ultimately, there is no single answer to how much cholesterol medication costs per year — it depends on diagnosis, the chosen drug, and its reference price.