By Azernews

By Rasana Gasimova

Azerbaijan’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved the package of services for Mandatory health insurance.

The medical services included in the package cover first aid and emergency medical care, primary health care services, specialized outpatient care and inpatient medical care, local media reported.

Depending on its type, the mandatory health insurance package determines the conditions for the provision of medical services, the amount of co-financing, as well as the waiting period.

In addition, under mandatory health insurance, insured persons are provided with medical services (except first aid and emergency medical care) in medical institutions that have concluded an agreement with the State Agency on Mandatory Health Insurance. Insured persons can also receive medical services on the basis of referrals from these institutions.

The pilot project on mandatory health insurance has been implemented in Azerbaijan since late 2016. It currently covers the city of Mingachevir and the Yevlakh and Aghdash regions.

The mandatory health insurance program will be implemented in four stages. Each stage will be implemented in the corresponding quarter of 2020. At the first stage, the program will be implemented in 20 northern regions and cover about 1.893 million people, at the second stage - in another 17 western regions, at the third - in 14 southern regions, and in the fourth quarter it will be carried out in Baku, Sumgait and on the Absheron Peninsula.

The state assumes the main financing budget and envisages allocation of 90 manats ($52.9) from the budget (a total of 900 million manats - $520.9 million) for each citizen. In addition, payments will be fully made by the state in the first quarter of 2020, and citizens will begin to pay from April 1.

The 2020 state budget allocates 902.9 million manats ($531.1 million) for the implementation of mandatory health insurance.