Has the Person Eaten and Drank Too Much, Does Insurance Have No Connection to This? Pashinyan to Avanesyan

During a government meeting, Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan announced that the law on universal health insurance and the accompanying legislative package were approved by written vote the day before. The projects have already been sent to the National Assembly.

The minister noted that numerous discussions have been held on the topic over the past few years, including with parliamentary deputies. However, she stated that there are deputies who do not participate in these discussions, which sometimes leads to misconceptions regarding the process.

According to Avanesyan, the topic of adopting the law on an urgent basis was also discussed. She reminded that the issue of urgency arose because the implementation of the project had already been postponed twice; it was initially planned to come into effect on January 1, 2025, then on July 1, 2025, but both deadlines were changed due to existing concerns about the system's launch.

“There is no such thing in nature that a significant reform starts working without any problems from day one. Problems arise only during actual work. That’s why we can no longer postpone,” she said.

Avanesyan added that discussions often emphasize the advantages of insurance, while in reality, the advantages are clear, and it is more important to talk about the issues. At the same time, the minister highlighted that universal health insurance does not mean that the system will cover all medical expenses. It is universal in the sense that it includes all citizens, but it does not provide 100% coverage for all services, especially in the initial phase.

Avanesyan clarified that even for the services included in the insurance package, the state may cover not the entire cost, but part of it, allowing citizens to choose their preferred medication or treatment based on the principle of co-payment. “We fund the medication, not the brand. For example, there is Analgin from different manufacturers at different prices. We reimburse based on the calculated average cost. If a citizen wants a more expensive brand, they can pay the difference,” the minister noted.

She added that the ministry has already compiled a list of medications, calculated the average reimbursement prices, and structured the system so that citizens have the opportunity to make choices.

At the end of the meeting, the Prime Minister asked the Minister of Health to clarify what will change for ordinary citizens from January 1 compared to January 2, 3, or 4 of previous years. Pashinyan also inquired whether there is a regime where eating and drinking too much has no connection to insurance. Avanesyan responded, “If the situation has reached the point where emergency assistance is needed, we will not consider that at that moment, but we have set bonuses for eating and drinking less.”