Grumble reception: medical services in private clinics have risen sharply in price
The cost of medical services in private clinics has increased significantly. During the year, the primary doctor's consultation increased in price by 19%, ultrasound — by 16%, physiotherapy procedures — by 15%, and blood tests — by 12%, Izvestia calculated. Market participants attribute this to an increase in staff costs due to a shortage of doctors, an increase in the cost of reagents and consumables, an increase in rental rates and utility tariffs. In order to save money, patients are increasingly choosing comprehensive programs and using promotional offers. Izvestia figured out how the demand for medical services is changing and what to expect for consumers.
How much have medical services in private clinics become more expensive
According to the results of January – June, the average cost of an initial consultation with a narrow-profile doctor in private medical institutions amounted to 1,658 rubles, which is 19% more than in the same period of 2025, Izvestia calculated based on Rosstat data. The growth rate of the cost of this service was almost four times higher than the general inflation rate, which, according to the service, amounted to 4.19% in the first half of the year.
The increase in cost has also affected other high-demand medical services. Thus, ultrasound increased in price by 16%, to 2,073 rubles, physiotherapy procedures — by 15%, to 341 rubles, a general blood test — by 12%, to 610 rubles.
A similar trend is recorded by the fiscal operator OFD Platform. According to him, in January – June, the average check in commercial clinics increased by 10% year-on-year and reached 5,424 rubles. At the same time, the number of purchases decreased by 5%, whereas a year earlier, on the contrary, it increased by 8%.
The reason for the accelerated cost increase lies not only in the increase in costs, but also in the change in the economics of clinics, a top manager of a large pharmaceutical company developing its own network of medical centers told Izvestia. According to him, if earlier clinics tried to compensate for the increase in costs at the expense of their own profitability, now they are increasingly forced to include them in the cost of services.
The increase in prices for medical services is industry-wide, Roman Mironchik, co-owner of Invitro holding, confirmed to Izvestia. According to him, the main reason is the cost increase. The biggest burden on clinic budgets is the increase in the payroll due to the shortage of doctors and nursing staff. Ekaterina Kosareva, Managing Partner of VMT Consult, agrees with this. Due to the shortage of qualified specialists, medical organizations are forced to raise salaries at a rate faster than inflation. According to her estimates, in 2026, the cost of private clinics will increase by 10-12%, while staff costs already account for 40-60% of the cost of services.
In the laboratory diagnostics segment, the costs of reagents, consumables, equipment and its maintenance have increased significantly, as a significant part of the equipment remains imported, Roman Mironchik added.
The Mother and Child clinic chain, owned by Mark Kurzer, had previously reported on the price revision. According to the company's quarterly reports, one of the key factors for revenue growth in January –March was an increase in the average receipt due to tariff indexation. Depending on the region and type of medical care, the cost of IVF programs increased by 10-18%, outpatient consultations — by 8-15%, childbirth — up to 21%, and inpatient treatment — up to 17%. The company also noted that the average bill increased due to an increase in the number of complex surgical procedures and high demand for expanded medical programs. A representative of the Mother and Child network did not respond to a request from Izvestia.
Scandinavia (part of Severgroup) and Medsi (part of AFK Sistema) declined to comment. In Medscan, the European Medical Center (EMC), Medinvestgroup, and Polyclinic.<url>" and the Berezin Sergey Medical Institute (MIBS) did not respond to requests from Izvestia.
What has influenced the rise in price of medical services
The rise in the cost of medical services is taking place against the background of a slowdown in consumer demand, says Nikolay Bespalov, Executive director of RNC Pharma. According to him, the growth rate of household incomes is decreasing, which limits the flow of patients. In these circumstances, clinics are increasingly compensating for the increase in costs by indexing tariffs. At the same time, medical services relate to basic needs, so most people are not ready to save on their own health, Roman Mironchik noted.
At the same time, according to him, patients began to take a more rational approach to medical expenses. They choose research more carefully, use comprehensive programs and promotional offers more often, which partly reflects the savings model of behavior.
A total outflow of patients from private medicine should not be expected, Nikolai Bespalov believes. In his opinion, patients choose commercial clinics for the speed of receiving care, flexibility and individual approach, which the public health system cannot always provide. However, further price increases will increase competition between market participants. As a result, some patients may more often turn to government agencies for basic services, while maintaining visits to private clinics for complex diagnostics and consultations with specialized specialists, the expert noted.
There are no prerequisites for a sharp rise in the cost of medical services in the second half of the year, Roman Mironchik believes. According to him, the price dynamics will continue to depend on the level of remuneration for medical personnel, the ruble exchange rate and the cost of imported consumables.
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