Expert critical of compulsory medical insurance 

ArmInfo.  Why should the Ministry of Health be involved in the insurance business? Following this logic, let the Ministry of Finance handle mortgage insurance, the  Ministry of Territorial Administration handle road accident  insurance, the Ministry of Urban Development handle buildings and  structures insurance, the Ministry of Transport handle cargo  insurance, and so on.  This assessment was made by tax expert Tigran  Keyan, a member of the Board of the Association of Small and Medium  Entrepreneurs.

"This approach is not an improvement to the healthcare system, but  rather an intrusion of government agencies into the private sector.  Tomorrow they'll be involved in trade, and the day after, all other  businesses. With this logic, the end result will be 'communist  capitalism,' where the state is both a player and a controller," the  expert wrote on social media.

Keyan reminds that the state's role is to regulate healthcare, not to  become a competitor in the insurance market. Meanwhile, according to  the November government decree "On Approving and Recognizing as  Urgent the Draft Law on Compulsory Health Insurance and Related  Laws," a state fund will be created to manage the health insurance  system. It will operate under temporary management for three months,  after which a state competition committee will form its board of  directors (which, as stated in the Concept for the Implementation of  Compulsory Health Insurance, will be chaired by the Minister of  Health).

"Compulsory insurance is not a solution, but another tax with a new  name," concludes Tigran Keyan.  It should be noted that, as part of  the Armenian Ministry of Health's initiative, the implementation of  the universal health insurance system in the Republic of Armenia will  be carried out in stages and will take three years. The first phase  will begin on January 1, 2026. By 2028, the entire population of  Armenia should become beneficiaries of this system. The state  procurement system will gradually transition to compulsory health  insurance. Until then, those who used the state procurement system  will continue to do so.

In the first stage, the compulsory medical insurance system will  cover children under 18, individuals aged 65 and older (even if  employed), individuals with disabilities between the ages of 18 and  65, and members of socially vulnerable families. The state will fully  cover the health insurance coverage for these categories of citizens.  Citizens with a monthly income of over 200,000 drams will pay for  their own insurance.  Overall, the first stage plans to reach 1.6  million beneficiaries (RA citizens residing in the country for more  than 183 days). Able-bodied citizens who are unemployed and do not  belong to special social groups will not yet receive insurance, but  in the future, it is planned to require them to pay for their own  insurance. "In the future, we want to establish a procedure whereby  they pay contributions even if they are unemployed. 

This is consistent with our policy of stimulating employment," Health  Minister Anahit Avanesyan stated at a Cabinet meeting on November 14.  In 2026, the insurance will cover the most in-demand services,  including outpatient services at clinics, family doctor visits,  specialist consultations, and laboratory tests (a certain number per  year). The list of services will be expanded and refined, covering  certain surgical procedures, including ophthalmological (cataracts),  cardiovascular, and other procedures. An annual medical examination  will be mandatory under the system.

Compensation will apply to certain types of medications (based on the  active ingredient, not the manufacturer). If citizens wish to  purchase a more expensive drug, they will be required to pay extra.

The system will automatically screen individuals and enroll them as  beneficiaries. They will then receive an invitation to become  beneficiaries through the Armed eHealth e-health system (or through  their primary care physician).

The base cost of an insurance policy in 2026 will be 129,600 drams  (10,800 drams per month), compared to 164,000 drams a year ago  (naturally, the policy coverage has been reduced compared to the  initial draft).  Part of this amount will be reimbursed from payments  to the Zinap Military Insurance Fund. These payments, increased in  2021, are now returning to their previous level of 1,000 drams,  regardless of salary.

Insurance payments will be made by a tax agent, meaning they will be  withheld from wages in the same way as income tax, social security  payments, and other payments.

The 2026 budget allocates 127 billion drams for the implementation of  the health insurance system.