Almaty continues to raise public awareness on system of medical insurance

None
None
ALMATY. KAZINFORM - The Almaty Healthcare Department reported on the intermediate results of a campaign on raising public awareness on the basic principles of the system of mandatory social medical insurance among medical personnel, employers and the population, Kazinform correspondent reports.

It should be noted that the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On mandatory social medical insurance" was signed by Head of State Nursultan Nazarbayev on November 16, 2015 within the framework of implementation of the National Plan "100 specific steps".

Introduction of the mandatory social medical insurance is outlined in the 80th step of the National Plan. The document envisages the introduction of the system of medical insurance in Kazakhstan that takes into account world's best practices based on shared responsibility of the state, employer and every individual.

The government will make contributions for inactive population, employers - for wage workers. As for the self-employed citizens, they will make contributions to tax authorities themselves.

Additionally, the government reserves the right to provide guaranteed volume of free medical treatment: medical treatment of socially significant diseases, medical emergencies, emergency medical services, air medical services and vaccination.

According to data of the Almaty Healthcare Department, uninsured citizens will be able to receive outpatient care within the framework of the guaranteed volume of free medical treatment in order to secure overall right to health protection for 2020.

According to Tleukhan Abildayev, head of the department of the Health Fees Committee of the Ministry of Social Protection and Development in Almaty city, 43 meetings with the population were held since October 13 till November 10, 2016 in eight districts of Almaty city. Participating in the meetings were 3,612 people, including 846 employees, 134 medical workers, 957 state-paid workers, 67 representatives of trade unions, 213 entrepreneurs, 5 self-employed individuals, unemployed citizens and 1,320 others.

In his words, self-employed Kazakhstanis can make medical insurance contributions to the amount of 457 tenge during the first year the system will be introduced.

"While self-employed citizens are deciding on their status, the government gives them a chance to pay only 457 tenge. When overall declaration of income is introduced in 2020, the tax system will determine how much every citizen earns. Many people will have to determine their status until 2020 and become participants of the system of medical insurance," Abildayev said.

It should be noted that the government's contribution rate for citizens of special categories will make 7% of average monthly salary. The contribution rate will be gradually increased from 4% in 2018 to 5% in 2019 to 6% in 2023 and finally 7% in 2024.

Head of the Almaty Healthcare Department Valikhan Akhmetov noted that supervisory councils were created within the framework of transparency principle of the enterprises' activity. All plans and reports of medical institutions are published on the websites and reviewed by the supervisory councils.

"Over 200 million tenge was earmarked in Almaty city to top up qualification of physicians and medical nurses. We also worked with the districts' administration and public councils and met with entrepreneurs at the Chamber of Entrepreneurs. We also worked together with the Kazakh National Medical University within the framework of the campaign. We will continue with our work until the final decision is made on the date of introduction of the system of medical insurance and when the corresponding law becomes effective," Akhmetov said.

Currently reading