AZE.US
Azerbaijan is again discussing whether more medical services for chronic diseases should be covered by compulsory health insurance, as long-term treatment costs continue to burden many patients.
For people with chronic conditions, the problem is not limited to illness itself. Expensive medicines, repeated doctor visits, waiting lists and lifelong treatment often turn health care into a financial struggle for families.
Patients say some conditions require constant care, not one-time treatment. In such cases, waiting a month for a doctor or medical service can make the system feel too slow for people who need regular monitoring and support.
Health experts say chronic diseases and conditions requiring continuous treatment should gradually be included more broadly in the compulsory medical insurance package.
But they warn that expansion must be carefully planned.
The main issue is financial sustainability. Experts say officials should study statistics from previous years, estimate the number of patients in each disease group and calculate whether the system can cover those costs within available funds.
The process cannot be handled as a one-time decision, they say, because it involves long-term financing for thousands of patients over many years.
Specialists also point to chronic disease rehabilitation and mental health care as areas that usually expand gradually in insurance systems. Quality of care, financial capacity and long-term continuity must all be considered before new services are added.
The issue is also being discussed at the parliamentary level, according to comments cited in local media.
Azerbaijan’s current compulsory medical insurance package includes 3,315 medical services.
The package already covers examination, monitoring and treatment services for arterial hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, bronchial asthma and other chronic non-communicable diseases.
Services for diabetes, chronic kidney failure, hemophilia and thalassemia are regulated under separate state programs.
In mental health care, the system provides initial psychological assistance and some monitoring services.
The package also includes 77 physiotherapy and rehabilitation services. Citizens can use those services within 30 visits per year.
For patients with chronic diseases, the debate is not only about expanding a list of medical services. It is about whether compulsory insurance can become a real safety net for people whose treatment does not end after one appointment, one prescription or one hospital visit.
AZE.US