Azerbaijan is ready to introduce modern compulsory medical insurance system
The next event within the Science Week at UNEC was organized at the UNEC Research Centre of Health Economics.
Except the rector of UNEC and the academic staff of the university, the event was attended by the director of the State Agency for Compulsory Medical Insurance Zaur Aliyev, Deputy Chairman of the Social Policy Committee of the Parliament, MP Musa Guliyev, health insurance specialists and other guests.
Rector Adalat Muradov pointed out that there are more than 30 research centers in UNEC carrying out research in various fields of science and spoke about the main goal of establishment of UNEC Research Centre of Health Economics. He said that our goal is to be with the relevant health insurance institutions, regarding compulsory health insurance to be introduced in the country by 2020, to provide them with the opportunity to conduct research and prepare reports in this area. Adalat Muradov said there was a shortage of specialists in the field and no research had been carried out. He said that the experienced experts at UNEC Health Economics Research Center would investigate the problems in the real sector and put a scientific perspective on these problems.
The rector pointed out that 602 young teachers had been hired at UNEC over the past 5 years and said that the head of the center, the teacher of the “International Economics” department Mirsahib Eminov was one of them.
Then Mirsahib Eminov made a speech on “International experience in health financing and its application capabilities to the system of compulsory medical insurance in Azerbaijan”. The reporter who said that there were four directions in international practice regarding financing mechanisms in healthcare systems, analyzed them and announced their application in the system of compulsory medical insurance in Azerbaijan. M. Eminov said that 2 packages of compulsory health insurance would be provided in Azerbaijan, and 29-manat required for the first envelope would be met by the state. The additional services package would be financed by 2% of the salary and 2% at the expense of the employer.
After the presentation, the questions of the participants on health financing mechanisms, financial sources, the amount of funds allocated from the state budget for compulsory insurance, per capita health insurance expenses and other questions on the topic were answered.
MP Musa Guliyev spoke about the problems that compulsory medical insurance can solve and spoke about their solutions. The MP disclosed the amount of health care per capita in Azerbaijan and other countries, saying that health care spending in the world had increased as a result of the development of medical technology.
Director of the State Agency for Compulsory Medical Insurance Zaur Aliyev spoke about the importance of establishment of UNEC Health Economics Research Center. He said the country lacks access to accurate data on health care costs. Z.Aliyev expressed confidence that UNEC will conduct useful scientific research in this area.
In the end, the rector Adalat Muradov noted that unified and statistical database on compulsory medical insurance would be established at UNEC Research Centre of Health Economics, a working group of experts of the center would prepare a brochure on the problems encountered during the implementation of this system in the post-socialist countries where the compulsory health insurance had been successfully applied and the ways to eliminate them. He added that an ambassador team of “Compulsory medical insurance” consisting of the lecturers and students of UNEC would be formed and educational activities would be held in the regions. The rector noted that after the introduction of compulsory medical insurance, the Research Center would establish a system for monitoring the quality of health services and a diagnostic system for the effectiveness of financial resources. He emphasized the importance of conducting distance learning in UNEC Extern to employees involved in compulsory medical insurance.