Hayk Babayan, Director for Finance and Insurance Reimbursements at the Universal Health Insurance Foundation, spoke on the “Fresh Mind” program aired by “Business Channel” about the results of the first months of the Universal Health Insurance (UHI) system and its financial management mechanisms.
Speaking about the beneficiaries of the system, Hayk Babayan noted that currently around 1.7 million insured individuals are enrolled in the UHI system. According to him, the number of insured persons continues to grow by several thousand each month, and it is projected to reach approximately 1.8 million by the end of the year. Babayan emphasized that this growth is largely driven by the increase in employment, as the engagement of new employees also increases the number of citizens enrolled in the system and paying insurance contributions. Beneficiaries who independently pay insurance contributions also play an important role. Regarding the level of service utilization, Babayan stated that during the first four months following the launch of the system, around fifty percent of the insured population had already used healthcare services.
Referring to the involvement of healthcare organizations, Babayan noted that for the Foundation it is important to include not only large hospitals, but also small medical facilities, regional outpatient clinics, laboratories, and pharmacies within the system. According to him, ensuring broad accessibility is especially important in the regions, so that citizens in most communities have the opportunity to use the services of partner pharmacies and obtain the necessary medications. Babayan mentioned that many small pharmacies are already cooperating with the Foundation, and even reimbursements of smaller volumes provide important support, especially for citizens with chronic diseases.
During the program, reference was also made to the ongoing efforts aimed at improving queue management and the quality of services. Babayan stated that the Foundation has a training team working with medical institutions and physicians to improve proper patient referral, queue management, and the efficiency of healthcare service organization. The Foundation’s quality control team is also carrying out consistent work to ensure that healthcare institutions implement quality management mechanisms in line with international standards and continuously improve the quality of the services provided.
Speaking about cooperation with private insurance companies, Babayan noted that the private insurance sector continues to retain a significant share of its portfolio. At the same time, new areas of cooperation are being discussed, within the framework of which private insurance companies could become more actively involved in areas such as dental services or additional coverage for more expensive surgeries.
Regarding financial management, Babayan stated that the Foundation’s financial flows exceed all private insurance reimbursements combined – including property insurance and MTPL insurance – by several times. He emphasized that the Foundation’s activities are subject to state oversight, and that cooperation with a major auditing organization is planned for the second half of the year in order to conduct an additional assessment of financial indicators. According to Babayan, financial reports will also be published at the end of the year, ensuring the transparency of the system’s operations.