The insurance sector is once again calling for the introduction of so-called “top-up insurance packages.” According to the Insurance Association, the key issue is the repeal of the 2017 regulation that stipulates that individuals lose access to state-funded health insurance if they purchase private medical insurance. The sector argues that this rule has significantly reduced the number of private insurance clients.
Davit Khechinashvili, head of the Insurance Association, says the regulation has caused the private sector to lose customers. Therefore, insurers are requesting the ability to offer top-up packages within the health insurance system and are awaiting a response from the Ministry of Health. He stresses that the current rule is unfair and limits access to healthcare services because individuals who buy private insurance automatically forfeit their universal coverage.
Khechinashvili explains that half of the population—children, persons with disabilities, and pensioners—already have the right to retain state coverage even if they purchase private insurance. However, the other half, which he describes as the most active and productive segment of society and the largest contributor to taxes, loses universal coverage the moment they buy private insurance. According to him, this is neither fair nor efficient from an accessibility perspective. He also notes that the policy effectively pushes many citizens to pay out-of-pocket for services that fall outside the universal coverage system, which he says is damaging to healthcare efficiency.
According to the Insurance Association, insurers have raised this issue with the government multiple times, and discussions are ongoing. The association argues that if the regulation is changed, the government will be able to save millions of lari, while citizens will face reduced out-of-pocket medical expenses.
