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- Treatment vector: 15 types of high-tech medical care have become available under compulsory medical insurance
Treatment vector: 15 types of high-tech medical care have become available under compulsory medical insurance
The program of state guarantees of medical care in 2026 has been expanded by another 15 positions of high-tech medical care, the press service of the Russian Ministry of Health reported. This will make it easier for Russians to access complex and expensive treatment methods, the agency is confident. How changes in the program will affect the duration of treatment, as well as whether further expansion of the program is planned, can be found in the Izvestia article.
Changing the system
The compulsory medical care program includes modern methods of cancer treatment, including photodynamic therapy for bladder, esophageal and cardiac cancers, as well as operations involving its use, the press service of the Ministry of Health told Izvestia. Also, some high-precision procedures in the field of the nervous system and vision are now performed free of charge, including retinal laser treatment and ophthalmological operations using special materials.
In addition, laparoscopic gastric surgeries, interventions for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, and the replacement of cardioverter defibrillators of various types have become available under compulsory medical insurance. The list also includes transplants of pancreatic islet cells and combined kidney transplantation with such cells.
The Ministry of Health, in particular, noted that bladder cancer is often diagnosed in the early stages, when the tumor is located superficially and does not affect the deep layers of the organ. In such cases, organ-preserving and less traumatic treatment is possible. The main method is transurethral resection, in which the neoplasm is removed through the urethra without incisions.
However, the disease has a high risk of recurrence. Photodynamic therapy is used to destroy microscopic tumor cells: the patient is injected with a drug that accumulates in malignant cells, after which the affected area is irradiated with light. This allows you to destroy the tumor, practically without damaging healthy tissues. Combining these methods reduces the likelihood of recurrence and helps preserve the organ. The inclusion of such technology in the compulsory health insurance system expands access to modern, gentle treatment and improves the quality of life of patients.
In addition, in ophthalmology, the state guarantee program for 2026 has also been expanded to include laser retinal coagulation in navigation mode and conjunctival autoplasty. Previously, these high-tech operations often required personal financial expenses, now they are performed free of charge under an MHI policy.
Laser coagulation with multimodal imaging is used for diabetic retinal lesions, the effects of thrombosis, dystrophies and ruptures, ensuring high accuracy of treatment. Conjunctival autoplasty is used to restore the ocular surface after injuries, burns, and surgeries and can significantly reduce the risk of recurrent complications.
The inclusion of these methods in the basic compulsory health insurance program increases not only financial, but also territorial accessibility of care, stimulating the introduction of modern technologies in regional clinics, the Ministry of Health is confident. The renewal of the state guarantee program remains a key mechanism for the dissemination of advanced medical solutions throughout the country.
Program development
Previously, such medical interventions had already been carried out, but they were not paid for through the compulsory medical insurance system, but directly from the federal budget, Sergei Leonov, head of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection, told Izvestia. Treatment was performed in specialized institutions, and the number of operations was limited by quotas.
— Now the fundamental change is in the source of financing. Expensive and technically complex operations have been included in the compulsory health insurance program, and now their cost is covered by compulsory medical insurance, rather than a separate budget line. In fact, the assistance remains the same, only the payment scheme is changing," the deputy noted.
On the one hand, according to him, this formally increases the availability of such treatment methods. On the other hand, the waiting periods and the procedure for providing assistance remain the same. In the future, with an increase in the MHI budget, it is possible to expand the list of included methods. There is no fundamental difference for the patient himself, because it is not so important to him from which source the treatment is paid, if it ends up being provided.
In general, the expansion of state guarantees within the framework of compulsory medical insurance can be assessed as a positive step, Mikhail Terentyev, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs, chairman of the All-Russian Society of the Disabled, told Izvestia. It is hoped that, taking into account the opinion of patient and community organizations, the program will continue to develop with the necessary financial support.
At the same time, another important innovation has recently appeared in the program — permission for an accompanying person to stay next to a disabled person of the first group during hospital treatment, Mikhail Terentyev noted.
— Such a solution has long been discussed and proposed by analogy with the current standards for children with disabilities and patients in need of constant care. Its adoption will significantly improve the quality of inpatient care, as hospitals often lack junior medical staff," he stressed. — Previously, escorts were not always allowed, although they helped solve everyday problems and prevent complications, such as the appearance of pressure sores.
The state guarantee program for 2026 is aimed at expanding citizens' access to free high-tech medical care using modern and unique treatment methods, Inna Litvinenko, associate professor of Economics and Management at the Russian State University of Social Technologies, told Izvestia. At the same time, an increase in the number of patients applying for such care may lead to increased waiting times and queues for individual procedures and operations that require the participation of specialized specialists and the use of sophisticated equipment.
— The work on the development of the program continues. The possibility of its further expansion starting in 2027 is being considered, including by including 15-20 more new types of medical care," the expert noted.
In the future, the program may include high-tech prosthetics and minimally invasive surgery to shorten the recovery period. This approach is related to the economy's need for human resources and qualified personnel. The development of modern medical technologies, including digital solutions and tools based on artificial intelligence, can increase the involvement of people with serious health and disability in the workforce.
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