Comprehensive medical insurance to be introduced in Armenia for three  years 

ArmInfo.  The implementation of a universal health insurance system in Armenia will be carried out in stages and will take three years. This was announced by RA  Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan on November 28 at a meeting of  the RA National Assembly Committee on Healthcare, where she presented  the draft law and amendments to 22 related legislative acts in the  first reading.

According to the minister, the first stage will begin on January 1,  2026. The system will automatically screen people and enroll them as  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 2028, the entire  population of Armenia should be covered by this system. The state  procurement system will gradually transition to compulsory health  insurance. Until then, those who used the state procurement system  will continue to do so.

In the first stage, the compulsory health insurance system will  include children under 18, individuals aged 65 and older (even if  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 included in the system starting January 1, 2027. Overall, the  first stage plans to reach 1.6 million beneficiaries. 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 not have to  pay the additional 10,800 drams monthly. Specifically, those 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  saved 4,500 drams can be used to pay for health insurance.  Furthermore, when filing their income tax return in 2026, they will  be able to claim back an additional 6,000 drams monthly (as a tax  deduction). For citizens with salaries between 500,000 and 1 million  drams, the Zinapa contribution will also be reduced to 1,000 drams  instead of 7,500, allowing 6,500 drams to be redirected toward  insurance.  When filing a tax return in 2027, they will be eligible  for a refund of 4,000 drams per month. Individuals earning over 1  million drams will be able to receive a refund of 4,000 drams per  month by filing an income tax return in 2027. 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 most in-demand services will be included in the  insurance system, including outpatient and clinic visits, family  doctor visits, emergency room visits, specialist consultations, and  laboratory tests (a certain number per year). The list of services  will be expanded and refined, covering 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.  The system will require mandatory annual medical examinations, which  will be implemented starting 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, allowing  them to expand their existing capacities.

The commission issued a positive opinion on the proposed package and  recommended that the National Assembly include the bill on the agenda  of the plenary session of parliament.