Mikheil Japaridze, General Director of insurance company Ardi, raised a key question on BMGTV’s program Tsertili: why can a citizen enrolled in universal healthcare not purchase dental or other complementary insurance without losing access to the state program?
The issue stems from the cancellation of built-in (complementary) insurance packages by the Ministry of Health in 2017, a measure intended to control the rising costs of universal healthcare. Under the current system, many citizens who wish to buy private insurance are forced to leave the state program, limiting access to additional coverage.
Japaridze emphasized that the insurance industry has long advocated for restoring these packages. “We haven’t heard yet why a user of universal healthcare cannot buy dental insurance without having their state coverage canceled,” he said. “If citizens want extra services beyond what the state provides for free, why shouldn’t they be allowed that right?”
Despite discussions with the Ministry, the industry has received no clear answers. Japaridze admitted that while the universal healthcare model is effective and well-designed, there seems to be no justification for preventing citizens from supplementing it with private coverage.
Nino Kobakhidze, also involved in insurance sector discussions, noted that restoring built-in insurance packages could significantly reduce out-of-pocket payments for patients, benefiting both citizens and the healthcare system.
