In Armenia, as a result of the implementation of the universal health insurance system starting from January 1, 2026, the remuneration of family doctors has increased by nearly 54 percent compared to previous years. In addition, the new financing mechanisms have not only raised the salaries of family doctors but also expanded the scope of their services, allowing them to receive additional compensation for providing consultations to patients treated in outpatient settings.
During a press conference held at the «Armenpress» press center, Samvel Kharazyan, the acting director of the Universal Health Insurance Fund, mentioned this while summarizing the results of the fund's activities for the first half of the year.
«The services of polyclinics and family doctors are fully reimbursed by the Universal Health Insurance Fund. Here, I want to emphasize the very important fact that the remuneration of our family doctors has significantly increased, growing by nearly 54 percent compared to previous years. Additionally, family doctors have been given the opportunity to provide consultations for diseases subject to outpatient treatment and to be compensated separately for this as well,» said Kharazyan.
According to him, broad opportunities have also been created for family doctors not only for treating patients but also for the ongoing management of diseases, because it is very important for the fund that consultations and medications from family doctors are accessible to citizens with chronic illnesses, which are also provided by the Universal Health Insurance Fund. «Through the implementation of the health insurance system, we also expect that certain changes will occur, and the hospital cases related to the shortcomings in disease management will decrease,» noted Samvel Kharazyan. He stated that significant changes have also been made in the treatment of oncological diseases, where the fund's expenses have significantly increased; specifically, this refers to the emphasis on the volumes of medications provided for chemotherapy services. «We have increased these expenses by about 10 times.
If previously our citizens had the opportunity to benefit from the chemotherapy program within the framework of the state order for only 150,000 drams, now that figure is 1.2 million drams,» emphasized Kharazyan. The acting director of the fund, Samvel Kharazyan, also added that during the 6 months of the system's implementation, there have been about 2.6 million prescriptions issued, and compared to January, that number has increased by about 3 times. «By June, we already have 172,000 beneficiaries who have utilized the medication package, and in total, the number of beneficiaries who have accessed medications necessary for the management of their chronic diseases or outpatient treatment is around 400,000,» explained Samvel Kharazyan. The universal health insurance system in Armenia came into effect on January 1, 2026.
In the first phase, the beneficiaries of the system include individuals earning 200,000 drams or more, persons with disabilities, pensioners aged 65 and older, and children under 18 years old.
* This text was automatically translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
