Annual Health Check-ups as a Mandatory Requirement: Avanesyan

The Minister of Health, Anahit Avanesyan, stated that the mandatory health insurance system in Armenia will be implemented in three phases from 2026 to 2028.

During a joint meeting of parliamentary committees, she noted that the scope of state order programs would gradually decrease during the implementation of the system. In the first phase, starting in 2026, the insurance system will include children under 18 years of age and citizens over 65, fully subsidized by the state. It will also cover individuals earning over 200,000 drams.

According to Avanesyan, during the initial phase of mandatory insurance, citizens benefiting from state order programs—for instance, for mental health, infectious diseases, or family members of servicemen—will continue to receive the same services. The state order for these groups will remain in effect until the complete establishment of the insurance system.

The insurance package will include services for primary care, emergency assistance, and hospital care. Additionally, annual preventive health check-ups will be mandatory, including screenings such as mammography for women aged 45-60, colorectal cancer tests, HPV testing, as well as a testing program for pregnant women.

Avanesyan pointed out that the budget for the Ministry of Health for 2026 is historic, amounting to 210 billion 912 million drams, which is 44 billion 313 million drams more than the 2025 budget. Of this amount, 129 billion drams will be allocated to the mandatory insurance program.