31 March 2020 15:27

Introduction of mandatory health insurance and the collection of mandatory health insurance fees will be carried out in 2021

At the plenary session of the Parliament held on March 30, 2020, amendments were made to four articles of the Azerbaijan Republic Law, “On Health Insurance.”

According to the first amendment, mandatory health insurance will be introduced to the administrative-territorial divisions of the country in stages in 2021.

According to the second amendment, by January 1, 2022, a 50% discount will be applied to the insurance premium amount paid by employers and employees in the non-governmental and non-oil sectors from monthly salaries up to 8,000 manats. This means that, by January 1, 2022, a 1% mandatory health insurance fee will be deducted from monthly salaries up to 8,000 manats and a 0.5% mandatory health insurance fee will be deducted from monthly salaries exceeding 8,000 manats. Starting in 2022, a 2% mandatory health insurance fee will be deducted from the monthly salaries of employers and employees in this sector up to 8,000 manats.

According to the third amendment, mandatory health insurance fees will be collected from January 1, 2021 - except for mandatory health insurance fees payable from the state budget—insurance premiums for tobacco products, alcohol and energy drinks, as well as the introduction of co-financing.
According to the fourth amendment, starting in 2024, in accordance with the Article 15-10.1.5 of the Law, a mandatory health insurance fee will be applied for independent payers at the rate of 48% of their minimum monthly salaries for the calendar year.

The reason for these amendments to the law is the mobilization of the staff and material resources of a number of government agencies, including the State Agency on Mandatory Health Insurance (Agency) and the  Administration of the Regional Medical Divisions (TABIB) to combat the coronavirus pandemic in the country. The situation with the coronavirus in the country requires that the Agency and TABIB, as well as all medical facilities and medical workers, be prepared for an unstable sanitary-epidemiological situation in the country and use all their efforts and power to fight the virus.

Currently, mandatory health insurance has been introduced in 23 cities and regions of the country (Guba, Gusar, Khachmaz, Shabran, Siyazan, Khizi, Shamakhi, Ismayilli, Agsu, Gobustan, Balakan, Zagatala, Gakh, Sheki, Oguz, Gabala, Goychay, Ujar, Zardab, Kurdamir, Mingachevir, Agdash, and Yevlakh).