Healthcare Services Must Be Provided Only to Those in Need, Says Pashinyan

The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, addressed the issue of the universal healthcare insurance system during the government meeting on November 14. The system is set to be implemented in January 2025.

Pashinyan pointed out that one of the potential risks could be the situation where the patient and the healthcare institution have differing opinions on what medical services the patient actually requires. “There may be cases where a person says, ‘I am very unwell, I need to be hospitalized,’ while the healthcare institution insists that such a need does not exist. Will we have proper mechanisms for oversight?” Pashinyan questioned, addressing Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan.

The Prime Minister emphasized that it is crucial to provide services only to those citizens who have genuine, objective needs. He noted that the oversight system must be designed in such a way that citizens do not feel a sense of injustice and that there are no opportunities for abuse to remain open.

Pashinyan highlighted the existing issues in the sector, including cases where payments have been expected from the government for services that were either not provided or were unnecessary. “This is the biggest risk, including today,” he stressed, calling for the assurance of the system's transparency and the prevention of errors.