ABSENCE OF RELEVANT LAW HINDERS DEVELOPMEMT OF INSURANCE MEDICINE IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan

Se p 17, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. A discussion on the subject
"The Problems of Medical Insurance in Armenia" was held in Yerevan on
Septemer 17 on the initiative of the Armenian Medical Association. The
opportunities of introducing and developing insurance medicine in
Armenia, as well as the current problems and ways to overcome them
were discussed at the event.

According to the director general of Diagnostics medical union
Saro Tsaturian, medical insurance is a new system of organizing and
financing the medical aid, and its development is hindered by the
absence of the relevant law on medical insurance. He said that over
the past 15 years about 10 draft laws on compulsory medical insurance
have been developed but none of them was passed and made a law.

As for voluntary medical insurance, in the words of S. Tsaturian, work
in this direction has been done in the country since 1996-1997, with
a number of companies being set up. Two years ago only 3-4 thousand
people had voluntary medical insurance in Armenia. S. Tsaturian said
the situation has not changed much because there would be no progress
even in case of a 10fold increase of this index. It was mentioned that
those having medical insurance in Armenia are mainly Yerevan residents
with higher than middle incomes who are insured by their employers.

In the opinion of the organizers and participants of the discussion,
medical insurance will contribute to provision of high quality and
affordable medical services and will ease the burden of the state,
relieving it of its financial obligations to citizens with stable
incomes.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress