Health Insurance System Is Like Training on a Simulator: We Will Fall Inevitably, Says Pashinyan

In a recent government meeting, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the criticisms surrounding the universal health insurance system, suggesting that more preparation was needed before its implementation. He shared a personal story, comparing his experience of learning to ride a bicycle with clip-on shoes to the current health insurance system.

“It is no secret that I ride a bicycle. There are contact shoes for biking, which attach to the pedals. It’s clear that riding with regular shoes before switching to these specific shoes can be challenging, but it is smoother and more enjoyable,” Pashinyan explained. He mentioned that he decided he had enough experience to start using the contact shoes but understood the need for practice.

“I began practicing in my residence because the process of putting on and taking off those shoes has its own specific methods and exercises. I practiced for about a month and a half, after which I could do it quite smoothly. My motivation was that I ride with people, and I didn't want to fall since, after all, I am the Prime Minister. I practiced for more than a month, and then I started to use the contact shoes in real life, but I fell dozens of times, and it was those falls that taught me,” he continued.

Pashinyan emphasized that sports and life are different realms: “It seems that this topic has no connection, but it is the same; no matter how much you practice on a simulator, until you encounter real life, you won't be able to assess whether you can ride a bicycle or perform some actions in real life.”

The Prime Minister concluded, “The universal health insurance system is something we have been practicing on a simulator. We said we weren’t ready, we have postponed it several times, but now we are going out into life. We will inevitably fall; we must be careful not to break apart when we fall, but we have to fall, get back up, and continue—that is the way forward.”