The new Government insurance plans for 2012

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili praised the increase of the minimal monthly pension for people above 67. According to information provided by Prime Minister Nika Gilauri, around 670,000 pensioners will receive GEL 140, which includes 125 lari of pension and 15 lari for insurance, as of September 1, 2012. Both the planned pension increase and state-funded health insurance for all pensioners are part of the new “pension package”.

Concerned that the government might not fulfill the promise given to pensioners in 2008 due to the August War and the world economic crisis, President Saakashvili said he would do everything to increase the basic pension to $100 a month during his presidency. “A person shouldn’t die of hunger. He/she should be able to cover basic expenses and be able to have some extra money, especially if he/she lives alone,” Saakashvili stated.

Encouraging PM Gilauri, Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs, Andria Urushadze and the Minister of Finance, Dimitri Gvindadze to move ahead with the schemes, the President emphasized the necessity to ensure accessibility of insurance for all citizens. The Prime Minister described the advantages of the new insurance package which would greatly assist people in need of medical support.

The insurance package will include a variety of services. The state will cover 20% of planned operations and 80 % of urgent operations, as well as 50 % of medicines up to a GEL 200 limit. The package will also allow free blood and urine analyses. At the same time a special package will be offered for every child from 0 to 5.

Meeting with representatives of medical and insurance systems at the New Hospital the next day, Prime Minister Gilauri stressed the importance of developing a healthcare system within the Government's 10-Point Strategic Plan. Encouraging representatives of Georgian insurance companies to prepare relevant offers for the new project, Gilauri estimated that the number of insured people will increase to 2.5 million after the introduction of the new insurance packages next year. “It will be a serious responsibility for the insurance companies, thus I advise every one of them to start improving their infrastructures right away,” the PM stated.

Minister of Healthcare Urushadze also emphasized the importance of the new project. Welcoming the “detailed development plan” the Minister stressed that everything should be done for implementation of the governmental strategy. Cooperation between the healthcare system with its newly opened hospitals and the insurance companies and their clients will be controlled by a Mediation Service.

Sharing their suggestions with Gilauri, the insurance sector expressed its readiness to participate in the new projects. Kakha Okriashvili, founder of Pharmaceutical Company PSP, praised the governmental initiative which will offer a variety of services with the 15-lari insurance. General Director of the Medical Insurance Group “Archimedes Global Georgia” shared three ways for implementing the project through the use of vouchers, regional distribution and sharing services between insurance companies. Maia Ivchenko PR Manager of Aldagi BCI also approved the initiative and stressed that their insurance company already has similar services for both pensioners and children. Yet she said that the governmental proposal was better than existing packages.