Health insurance will not be compulsory under the leadership of Ukrainian Health Minister Alexander Kvitashvili. Insurance policy will be enjoyed only by those who can buy it, and the state will take care of the others.
The minister said this, answering the question of an Ukrinform correspondent.
“A special law on medical insurance is not necessary. And the word ‘mandatory’ cannot be used here. Health insurance is just an option that falls under the general law on insurance. Ukraine still can not oblige anybody to buy insurance. How can we adopt a corresponding law without proper hospital network, lists of services and pricing?” the minister said.
He said that now the source of funding for medicine is the state budget, which annually provides industry with subventions worth UAH 46 billion. “It’s a lot of money, which is now spent on the existing system,” he said, adding that he considers such a system of resource allocation as inefficient.
Therefore, the industry waits for mandatory privatization and de-monopolization. “Now, Ukraine is a country where the state buys the services, provides them and controls them. This won’t do,” he said.
Kvitashvili is convinced that the health care system needs the fair rules for all – public funds should go to the patient, regardless of the ownership of medical institution where he applies. Therefore, health insurance, which can cover the additional costs of medical care, can be useful for those who have more money. But socially vulnerable groups can expect the state’s support.
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