Patients with health insurance get discounts at private hospitals

The State General Office for Social Insurance provides civilians with health care services via a health insurance fund. This is provided by a contract with the State and private hospitals and spring resorts and nursing homes. The State General Office for Social Insurance have updated these contracts with medical centers for the New Year.

Our journalist spoke to Ts.Gantsetseg, the chairman of a division of the Health Department of the State General Office for Social Insurance, on this issue.

-How many organizations did you sign a contract with this year?

- The State General Office for Social Insurance signed contracts with the State and 863 private medical centers this year. Those contractors included state and private hospitals, pharmacies, spring resorts and nursing homes. For this year the State General Office Social Insurance signed contracts with 576 pharmacies so civilians will be able to buy drugs with discount prices.

-The number and volume of drugs that can be sold with a discount price have been increased since the New Year. Are these discounts available at every pharmacy?

-Yes. A new rule that was passed after the New Year allows citizens to buy 390 varieties of drugs and pills with a 50-80 percent discount using health insurance.

Therefore the pharmacies that have a contract with the State General Office for Social Insurance should follow the rule.

A civilian can gain a prescription from a community doctor to buy the necessary drugs with the discount price at pharmacies.

- The Social Insurance Fund provides a civilians allowance. But how can a civilian be given the allowance by the Social Insurance Fund when having treatment at private hospitals.

- The State General Office for Social Insurance signed a contract with 150 private hospitals this year. A civilian can be given a discount at a private hospital for three different services.

A patient can have a 74,000 MNT discount for aftercare treatment, 90 MNT for traditional treatments and 110,000 to 325,000 MNT for inpatient services at private hospital using health insurance.

But the health insurance discount depends on the patient`s diagnose so a patient should ask a medical doctor in advance to confirm.