The Primary Objective of Comprehensive Health Insurance Should Be Disease Prevention, Says Pashinyan on the Project

During a meeting led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the concept project for the implementation of comprehensive health insurance in Armenia was discussed today. The presentation was made by Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan and Deputy Minister Lena Nanushyan.

It was noted that several models were studied in the process of developing the concept, based on the idea of a state health care system. The purpose of the reform is to create a sustainable financing system for health care built on the principles of social responsibility of the state and social solidarity of the population, and to ensure financial accessibility of basic medical services for all population groups.

The work done regarding the financial assessment of the system's implementation, the formation of the core services package, the definition of the insured population groups, and the calculation of necessary expenses was presented. The project is currently in the discussion phase with the interested agencies, and a relevant legislative amendment package is also planned to be developed after its approval.

Officials from the Ministry of Health emphasized that successful implementation of the system is heavily dependent on simultaneous reforms in other areas, including infrastructure improvement, development of electronic health, and strengthening the capacities of primary health care.

A comprehensive exchange of ideas took place regarding the conceptual approaches to implementing comprehensive health insurance. Issues were raised concerning funding mechanisms and sources, the determination of population groups, the amount and collection of insurance premiums, the quality standards of services, the calculation of necessary funds for the healthcare expenses of the insured, as well as cost-effectiveness, social justice, and social solidarity, along with the risks of implementation. Several recommendations were put forward.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of reform, stating that the primary objective of comprehensive health insurance should be disease prevention. Accordingly, it is necessary to introduce a model that guarantees the operation of a cost-effective and quality healthcare system. The head of the government stressed the importance of establishing a universal declaration system in parallel with the implementation of comprehensive health insurance, taking into account the interconnectedness and interaction of these reforms.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan instructed to refine the draft concept based on the outcomes of the meeting and present it for a final discussion.