Is the development of private healthcare market in Ukraine more rapid than that of Russia? - September 2011

The private healthcare markets in Russia and Ukraine are at the initial stage of development. Informal spending is widespread and this is partially caused by lack of proper payment mechanisms in the system. At the same time the private health insurance segment is immature. According to the latest PMR report, “Private healthcare market in Russia and Ukraine 2011. Development forecasts for 2011-2013” in the coming three years no revolutionary changes in systems are expected, however, despite this the markets will develop dynamically.

The current healthcare system in Russia has been forming since the beginning of the 1990s, when the political situation required new legislation. The implementation of mandatory health insurance (MHI) in 1991 was the beginning of the development of medical services in Russia. MHI played an important role in the mending of the inefficient healthcare system but did not resolve the problem of the shortage of funds in Russian public medicine.