BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 26
By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend:
One of the proposals as part of the implementation of the draft law “On medical insurance” in Azerbaijan is the phased application of compulsory medical insurance in the country in 2020, Head of the Center for Assistance to Economic Initiatives, Azerbaijani economy expert Azer Mehdiyev told Trend Nov. 26.
It is proposed that compulsory medical insurance cover Azerbaijan by the end of the year, Mehdiyev said.
The economy expert noted that the chairman of the Healthcare Committee of the Azerbaijani parliament also considers it appropriate to use this type of insurance throughout the country during next year.
“I don’t think this is a long process,” Mehdiyev said. “To do this, all medical institutions that are part of the compulsory medical insurance system must be prepared to provide people with high-quality medical services. Prior to this, many experts advocated a phased transition to compulsory medical insurance. This is related to the need to improve the material and technical base of most state medical institutions.”
The expert also noted that some risks must be taken into account in this process.
“People’s expectations regarding compulsory medical insurance are extremely high,” Mehdiyev added. “Any flaw can seriously harm the reform process. Therefore, I suggest that the application of this type of insurance in Azerbaijan in 2020 be phased according to regions. Implementation of the reforms may simplify the unification of some medical institutions and optimize the hospital network. The administrative division of the Soviet period is a serious problem for reforms. It is necessary to optimize the number of medical institutions and their employees.”
The expert said that it may be appropriate to begin the test application of compulsory medical insurance in Azerbaijan in one region.
“The application of compulsory medical insurance would be simplified if it were started in a specific region, for example, in the north, west or south,” Mehdiyev noted.
The draft law was presented at the plenary meeting of the Azerbaijani parliament at a joint meeting of parliamentary committees on healthcare, economic policy, industry and entrepreneurship.