Comprehensive medical insurance system money laundering scheme,  economist claims 

ArmInfo.  The introduction of a universal health insurance system in Armenia is another way to replenish the budget at the expense of the country's citizens.  Economist Hrayr Kamendatyan wrote about this on his Facebook page,  presenting the results of his analysis.

As Kamendatyan explained, they developed a list of questions that  will allow everyone to put aside political slogans and evaluate  whether the law proposed by the Armenian authorities will serve the  interests of the people or is simply another way to replenish the  budget.

In this vein, the expert, based on his analysis, presented five  points whose absence from the legal provisions of the law indicates  yet another money-laundering scam. First, the economist urged the  question of whether a universal health insurance system allows for  freedom of choice, specifically, does a citizen have the right to  visit any hospital-public or private-with their insurance policy? "If  the state requires visits only to certain medical institutions, then  this is not insurance, but a redistribution of the budget between  'its' hospitals," Kamendatyan explained. The expert further  emphasized the importance of establishing a maximum waiting period  for surgery. "After all, if the time limit isn't specified, the  situation with 'grandmothers' will remain an exception, while other  patients will wait for years," the economist asserted.  Kamendatyan  believes another sign of the inevitability of corruption in the  system is the lack of information about how much of the tax money  citizens pay goes into their healthcare accounts and how much is  spent on their treatment. Furthermore, the economist continued, it's  important to understand whether insurance covers outpatient  medications. "If the surgery is 'free,' but then you have to spend  100,000 drams a month on medications, that means the system is  flawed," the expert explained.  Kamendatyan concluded by citing  independent oversight and the possibility of appeal. This, the expert  explained, means citizens knowing where they can file a complaint if  a doctor has treated poorly or demanded additional funds.

"If a complaint is sent to the same Ministry that manages the  finances, there can be no talk of fairness," the economist  emphasized.

In summary, the expert explained the questions one should ask to  avoid manipulation. "When you see advertising on television or social  media, ask yourself the following questions: 'What is the maximum  waiting period according to the law?' and 'Can I see the money spent  on my phone?' This will help avoid manipulation," Kamendatyan  concluded.

As a reminder, compulsory medical insurance envisages a phased  implementation of the system over three years. The first stage began  on January 1, 2026. The system covers children under 18, individuals  aged 65 and older (even if they are employed), disabled individuals  aged 18 to 65, members of socially vulnerable families, and citizens  earning over 200,000 drams. The base cost of an insurance policy in  2026 will be 129,600 drams (10,800 drams per month). Part of this  amount will be reimbursed from payments to the Zinapa Military  Insurance Fund. These payments, increased in 2021, are now returning  to their previous level of 1,000 drams, regardless of salary. The  remaining portion will be reimbursed to beneficiaries upon filing  their annual personal income tax return. However, in 2026, these  amounts will be reimbursed monthly by the state budget.

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  payments, and other payments. This year, individual entrepreneurs  will also benefit from the system and will be required to pay their  own insurance premiums. Overall, health insurance will cover  approximately 1.6 million people in 2026.

A state fund has been created to manage the system. It will operate  under temporary management for three months, after which a state  competition committee will form its board of directors, which, as  stated in the Concept for the Implementation of Compulsory Health  Insurance, will be chaired by the Minister of Health.

According to the ACSES analytical review, the current model of  Universal Health Insurance is a serious deviation from the principles  of a market economy, creating risks for the long-term investment  attractiveness of the sector.

In particular, financial calculations show that a system implemented  in 2026 would, at best, account for approximately 23% of healthcare  expenditures, which is lower than the indicators of the countries  examined in the document (the lowest indicator is in Greece at 32%).  Furthermore, international experience shows that, given the proposed  model, healthcare infrastructure, and low levels of funding, patient  satisfaction in Armenia is likely to be lower than the average for  the countries examined, which could overshadow the reform. Setting  actual prices and maximum compensation/compensation prices can, in  some cases, also lead to increased shadow trade, particularly when  the actual price is twice the established compensation amount, and  the citizen is forced to pay the difference in cash.