Payments to compulsory health insurance system to be automatic -  minister 

ArmInfo. Payments to the compulsory health insurance system will be made automatically. This was announced by RA Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan on December 2 from the podium of the National Assembly, where she presented the  draft law "On Universal Health Insurance" and a package of related  documents in the first reading.

According to her, the subsidy system through payments to the Zinapa  Fund will also operate in the same manner, that is, automatically.  Therefore, the minister assured, citizens will not have to waste  energy and effort on this issue. As for Armenian residents who work  for international organizations and already voluntarily contribute to  their policies, they will be required to pay 129,600 drams annually  or 10,800 drams per month. If the amount of contributions exceeds  this amount, the remainder can be used for voluntary health  insurance. This category of citizens will also be able to take  advantage of the subsidy system provided by the Zinapa Fund.

Responding to a question about why the system includes citizens aged  65 and older, rather than the retirement age of 63, Avanesyan noted  that careful calculations were conducted during the development of  the document, and as the state budget grows, it is entirely possible  that the 65+ threshold will be lowered to 63. The minister noted that  400,000 people fall into the category of citizens aged 65 and older.  Their medical care services are classified into various categories.

The minister also noted that children under 18 will also be included  in the system, and their insurance payments will be made from the  state budget. A total of 700,000 people who have previously used the  state-provided system fall into this category. With the adoption of  the package, their medical care services will once again be fully  assumed by the state; only the service categories and subsidized  rates will change.  The Minister noted that, when developing the  package, the experience of other countries was also considered, in  particular South Korea and Thailand, countries that have recorded  very good results.

Overall, Avanesyan noted, the implementation of the universal health  insurance system in Armenia will be carried out in stages and will  take three years. The first stage will begin on January 1, 2026. The  system will automatically screen individuals and enroll  beneficiaries. They will then receive an invitation to become  beneficiaries of the system through the Armed eHealth e-health system  (or through their primary care physician). By 2029, the entire  population of Armenia should be covered by this system. The state-  provided system will gradually transition to compulsory health  insurance. In the first stage, the system will include children under  18, individuals aged 65 and older (even if they are employed),  individuals with disabilities aged 18 to 65, and members of socially  vulnerable families. The state will fully cover the health insurance  policies of these categories of citizens. Regarding insurance  payments for individuals earning over 200,000 drams, the document's  developers opted for fixed payments, abandoning the salary deduction  model. Individuals with salaries of up to 200,000 drams will be  enrolled in the system beginning January 1, 2027. Overall, the  program's beneficiaries are expected to approach 1.6 million during  the first stage. The base cost of an insurance policy in 2026 will be  129,600 drams, or 10,800 drams per month. However, since the payment  amount to the Military Insurance Fund (Zinapa) will change,  beneficiaries will no longer have to make the additional 10,800 drams  monthly. Specifically, individuals with salaries between 200,000 and  500,000 drams will be able to reduce their monthly Zinapa  contribution from 5,500 to 1,000 drams.  The 4,500 drams saved can be  used to pay for health insurance. Additionally, when filing their  income tax return in 2026, they will be able to receive an additional  6,000 drams monthly (as a tax deduction). For citizens with salaries  between 500,000 and 1 million drams, the Zinapa premium will also be  reduced to 1,000 drams instead of 7,500, allowing them to redirect  6,500 drams toward insurance. When filing their income tax return in  2027, they will be able to receive a 4,000 drams monthly refund.  Those earning over 1 million drams will be able to file their income  tax return in 2027 and receive a 4,000 drams monthly refund.  The  insurance payment will be made by a tax agent, meaning it will be  withheld from wages in the same way as income tax, social security  contributions, and other taxes.

In 2026, the insurance will cover the most in-demand services,  including outpatient and clinic visits, family doctor visits,  emergency room visits, specialist consultations, and laboratory  tests. The list of services will be expanded and refined,  encompassing certain surgical procedures, including ophthalmological  (cataracts), cardiovascular, and other procedures. The list of  diseases will be approved by government decisions. A single package  of services will apply to all age groups. Annual medical examinations  will be mandatory under the system, effective in 2029. The 2026  budget allocates 127 billion drams for the implementation of the  health insurance system.

The funds will be managed by the state-run Health Insurance Fund,  whose director will be required to submit an annual report to  parliament on the work performed and the flow of funds. The fund will  also present a program of activities for the following year. The  Minister also stated that during the transition period, both public  and private medical institutions will invest in development, which  will allow them to expand their existing capabilities.