Agency talks on Azerbaijani insurance companies’ participation in mandatory medical insurance project (Exclusive)

Baku, Azerbaijan, July 26

By Anvar Mammadov – Trend:

Azerbaijan’s State Agency for Mandatory Medical Insurance does not consider the direct participation of private insurance companies in the mandatory medical insurance project within the pilot project, Vugar Gurbanov, head of the medical insurance department of the state agency, said in an interview with Trend.

“This is connected with the fact that the mandatory medical insurance system is based on the principles of social solidarity and justice,” he added.

"The mandatory medical insurance system is based on the principles of solidarity, social justice," Gurbanov said. “This principle of mutual assistance is of great importance.”

“The main task of the mandatory medical insurance is to create conditions for ensuring accessibility and quality of medical care which is rendered,” he said. “This is a significant difference between the State Mandatory Medical Insurance Agency and private insurance companies that consider rendering medical services as part of the insurance from the point of view of gaining profit. Therefore, presently, the participation of private insurance companies as part of the pilot mandatory medical insurance project is not considered."

Gurbanov stressed that in the future, insurance companies may render additional paid services for the mandatory medical insurance project, which is actively used throughout the world.

"Insurance companies must not think that the use of mandatory medical insurance will narrow the health insurance market or limit the participation of private insurance companies in the process of rendering medical services,” he said.

“On the contrary, mandatory medical insurance will be implemented in each village, which will favorably affect the formation of the insurance culture among people,” Gurbanov added. “Private insurance companies will be able to prepare insurance coverage for services which are not included in the basic package of mandatory medical insurance services and sell it to the population."

The basic package of mandatory medical insurance in Azerbaijan includes more than 1,800 medical services, namely, check-up, treatment, diagnostic procedures, surgery and other services.

“The treatment of some diseases, which is carried out through government programs, was not included in the basic package of mandatory medical insurance, but in the future they are also planned to be included in the basic package,” he said.

The State Agency for Mandatory Medical Insurance began to operate in Azerbaijan in February 2016. A pilot project on mandatory medical insurance, which currently covers the city of Mingachevir, as well as Yevlakh and Agdash districts, has been implemented in the country since the end of 2016.

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