Access to Medicines within the State Health Insurance Program for Pension Age Population in Georgia (country)

Verulava, Tengiz (2014) Access to Medicines within the State Health Insurance Program for Pension Age Population in Georgia (country). HealthMED, 8 (9). pp. 1078-1082. ISSN 1840-2291

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Abstract

Pension age population and children belong to the largest risk group within insurance sphere. While the Georgia State Health Insurance Program for pension age population includes some compensation for medicines, medical insurance does not provide guarantee for financial accessibility to medical service. Healthcare for pensioners often represents catastrophic expenses and has become the major reason for their impoverishment. The most rapidly increasing and unaffordable share of health care expenses falls upon medicines. The annual limit for medicines defined by the state is low (100 GEL, with 50% co-payment). The majority of those interviewed (64%) have exceeded this limit by at least 50 GEL (about 28.5 USD). Almost 33% of the insured population cannot afford to buymedications prescribed by their doctors, highlighting low accessibility to medicines and the need for major changes to the insurance program. Universal insurance requires large amount of financial resources that represent heavy burden for low-income countries. State financing should concentrate on high-risk beneficiaries such as pensioners who are threatened by poverty and social inequities without this kind of support. It would be sensible to expand the insurance program for the above population groups and also provide more reasonable coverage of medication expenses.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Georgia; Health insurance; Catastrophic out-of-pocket payments; Healthcare; Financial access to healthcare; Pension age population.
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HO Public Health R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Divisions:	Centres > Insurance and Public Health Center
Depositing User:	Professor Tengiz Verulava
Date Deposited:	15 Feb 2016 11:16
Last Modified:	15 Feb 2016 11:16
URI:	http://eprints.iliauni.edu.ge/id/eprint/3974

Available Versions of this Item

• Access to Medicines within the State Health Insurance Program for Pension Age Population in Georgia (country). (deposited 23 Apr 2014 04:53)
  • Access to Medicines within the State Health Insurance Program for Pension Age Population in Georgia (country). (deposited 29 Jul 2014 15:29)
    • Access to Medicines within the State Health Insurance Program for Pension Age Population in Georgia (country). (deposited 20 Oct 2014 05:36)
      • Access to Medicines within the State Health Insurance Program for Pension Age Population in Georgia (country). (deposited 19 Dec 2014 07:21)
        • Access to Medicines within the State Health Insurance Program for Pension Age Population in Georgia (country). (deposited 14 Apr 2015 11:28)
          • Access to Medicines within the State Health Insurance Program for Pension Age Population in Georgia (country). (deposited 15 Feb 2016 11:16) [Currently Displayed]

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