Georgia’s hospital funding model under the DRG (Diagnosis-Related Groups) system continues to create major challenges for intensive care and critical care services, according to Maia Makharashvili, chair of the supervisory board of the Healthcare Association.
Makharashvili said Georgia still lacks a mechanism for the regular annual review of DRG tariffs, particularly for high-cost intensive care services. She noted that large multidisciplinary hospitals, which receive the majority of critically ill patients transferred from other medical facilities, operate under unequal financial conditions because the current reimbursement system does not reflect their heavier burden.
The association argues that international practice typically provides special coefficients or additional funding mechanisms for hospitals treating large volumes of complex and critical cases. Such support has not yet been introduced in Georgia, despite ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Health.
Makharashvili said the sector hopes that the 2027 state budget will include additional funding for critical care, but stressed that tariff increases alone will not solve the problem. She called for a broader reform defining the country’s approach to intensive and critical care financing, including hospital capacity, referral flows, and sustainable funding mechanisms beyond the standard DRG system.
