Compulsory medical insurance for the EAEU: compulsory medical insurance policy for foreign citizens in Russia
Since the Treaty on the EAEU provides for equal social security for citizens of the EAEU countries and citizens of Russia, the Eurasian Economic Commission was faced with the issue of providing medical care on Russian territory for EAEU citizens, since temporarily staying foreign citizens from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are legally employed on the territory of Russia, previously it was not possible to participate in the compulsory health insurance program in the Russian Federation.
The discussion of this issue lasted a long time until a full agreement was reached between the parties on compliance with the agreement to ensure equal rights for workers from the EAEU states in the field of healthcare. And at the end of October 2021, the Russian Ministry of Health issued an order amending the compulsory medical insurance rules for citizens of the EAEU.
Thus, from January 1, 2021, in connection with the entry into force of the new edition of the rules of compulsory health insurance in Russia dated October 27, 2016, temporarily staying foreign citizens from the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union were able to obtain a compulsory health insurance policy free of charge.
That is, now citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan who officially work in the Russian Federation have the right to contact an insurance company to apply for a compulsory health insurance policy.
We will tell you more about what compulsory medical insurance gives to a foreign citizen, how to obtain a compulsory medical insurance policy for a foreign citizen from the EAEU, and who can count on compulsory health insurance in Russia in our article.
Who can get a compulsory medical insurance policy for foreign citizens?
In accordance with Article 10 of Federal Law N 326-FZ “On Compulsory Medical Insurance in the Russian Federation”, in addition to Russian citizens, insured persons are foreign citizens and stateless persons who permanently or temporarily reside in the territory of the Russian Federation.
According to Federal Law N 115-FZ “On the legal status of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation”, a foreign citizen (stateless person) permanently residing in the Russian Federation is a person who has received a residence permit in Russia, and a temporary resident is a person who has received permission to temporary residence in Russia.
According to the entry into force of the new edition of the rules of compulsory health insurance in Russia (as amended on October 27, 2016), from January 1, 2021, temporarily staying foreign citizens from the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union who work in the Russian Federation under an employment contract are also insured persons.
Thus, persons permanently (compulsory medical insurance for citizens with a residence permit) or temporarily residing (compulsory medical insurance for foreign citizens with a temporary residence permit) on the territory of Russia have the right to receive a compulsory health insurance policy, as well as working citizens of the EAEU countries (compulsory medical insurance for working citizens of the EAEU) .
In other words, a compulsory medical insurance policy for foreign citizens can be obtained by:
- Foreign citizens with a residence permit in the Russian Federation.
- Foreign citizens with a temporary residence permit in the Russian Federation.
- Foreign citizens of the EAEU countries who are officially employed in the Russian Federation.
Foreign citizens can now apply for voluntary health insurance policies at post offices. As the press service of Russian Post reported, the project was launched in six largest regions: Moscow, Novosibirsk, Rostov and Chelyabinsk regions, Perm Territory and the Republic of Tatarstan. “Any foreign citizen aged 18 to 65 can use the new service. Insurance coverage also provides compensation for expenses for diagnostic tests, surgical interventions and medicines,” Russian Post explained.
Insurance policies distributed through post offices allow compensation for treatment costs for various injuries, burns, frostbite, poisoning and repatriation. The maximum amount of insurance coverage is 100 thousand rubles with a policy cost of 599 rubles for three months. To apply for a voluntary health insurance policy, a foreign citizen must present a migration card.
Note that health insurance policies for migrants may soon become mandatory. By February 6, insurers had to submit the final version of a document on the relevant amendments to Russian migration legislation, according to which foreign citizens and stateless persons will have to acquire a compulsory health insurance policy, the availability of which will be checked upon entry into the Russian Federation. The policy must be valid for 90 days, which coincides with the maximum period of stay when entering the Russian Federation without a visa.
The fact is that other types of health insurance cannot be used in this case. According to the first deputy chairman of the board of one of the largest insurance companies, Nikolai Galushin, in the country only 10 percent of migrants work under employment contracts. Theoretically, this 10 percent can be used for voluntary health insurance (VHI) within the framework of relevant corporate programs. But if the company where this migrant goes to work does not have a valid voluntary health insurance program for employees? An employer must insure migrants, but not its employees, citizens of the Russian Federation, because they have compulsory health insurance? This puts foreign workers in a more privileged position. It turns out that they have a better social package than citizens of the Russian Federation.
In addition, citizens from other countries who were forced to buy a VHI policy will immediately go for treatment en masse. And this is no longer profitable for insurers: the loss ratio on such policies will exceed 100 percent. That is why the topic of separate compulsory health insurance for temporary citizens arose. According to insurers, it is possible to develop several types of compulsory health insurance-VG with different coverage, but the risk of “medical repatriation” at the place of permanent residence must be included in the policy; if expenses exceed the policy limit, this will reduce the possibility of developing “medical tourism” to the territory of Russia .
Let us remind you that several hundred so-called “cargo-200” - the bodies of labor migrants who have died or died for various reasons - are sent annually from Russia to the countries of Central Asia. Many of them die as a result of neglected and untreated diseases: as a rule, migrants try not to spend money on medical care because of its high cost.
Compulsory medical insurance for working citizens of the EAEU in 2021
From January 1, 2021, temporarily staying foreign citizens from the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union who work in the Russian Federation under an employment contract are insured persons.
Thus, in 2021 you can get:
- Compulsory medical insurance for citizens of Armenia;
- Compulsory medical insurance for citizens of Belarus;
- Compulsory medical insurance for citizens of Kyrgyzstan;
- Compulsory medical insurance for citizens of Kazakhstan.
Important!
Only a citizen of the EAEU working under an employment contract has the right to receive a compulsory medical insurance policy and further free medical care.
Important!
Foreign citizens from the EAEU who work under civil contracts rather than labor contracts cannot count on free medical care.
Important!
The validity period of the compulsory medical insurance policy for working citizens of the EAEU is until the end of the calendar year, but not longer than the validity period of the concluded employment contract.
Important!
Family members of working citizens from the EAEU cannot count on free medical care.
If the parents have a residence permit, can a newborn child receive a compulsory medical insurance policy?
1) those working under an employment contract, including heads of organizations who are the only participants (founders), members of organizations, owners of their property, or a civil law contract, the subject of which is the performance of work, the provision of services, under an author’s order agreement, as well as authors works receiving payments and other remuneration under agreements on the alienation of the exclusive right to works of science, literature, art, publishing license agreements, license agreements on granting the right to use works of science, literature, art;
2) self-sufficient workers: individual entrepreneurs, lawyers, mediators, notaries engaged in private practice, arbitration managers, appraisers, patent attorneys, individuals applying the special tax regime “Professional Income Tax”, individuals registered with tax authorities in accordance with paragraph 7.3 of Article 83 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, and other persons engaged in private practice in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation;3) who are members of peasant (farm) enterprises;
4) who are members of family (tribal) communities of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation, living in the places of their traditional residence and traditional economic activities and carrying out traditional economic activities;
5) unemployed citizens:
a) children from the day of birth until they reach the age of 18;
b) non-working pensioners, regardless of the basis for granting a pension;
c) citizens studying full-time in professional educational organizations and educational organizations of higher education;
d) unemployed citizens registered in accordance with employment legislation;
e) one of the parents or guardian caring for the child until he reaches the age of three;
f) able-bodied citizens caring for disabled children, group I disabled people, and persons over 80 years of age;
g) other citizens not working under an employment contract and not specified in subparagraphs “a” - “f” of this paragraph, with the exception of military personnel and persons equivalent to them in the organization of medical care.
How can a temporarily staying foreign citizen from the EAEU receive compulsory medical insurance?
In this section, we will look in detail at obtaining compulsory medical insurance by a foreign citizen from the EAEU and will tell you how to obtain compulsory medical insurance for citizens of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia temporarily staying and working in the Russian Federation.
Compulsory medical insurance policies are issued to working citizens from the EAEU by medical insurance organizations (insurance companies) that operate in the field of compulsory health insurance.
A foreign citizen independently chooses a medical insurance organization at his own request, regardless of the place where he is registered.
In order to obtain a compulsory health insurance (CHI) policy from the selected organization, a foreign citizen from the EAEU must contact the policy issuing point of the selected organization and submit an application.
When filling out an application for compulsory medical insurance, a foreign citizen must indicate:
- FULL NAME;
- floor;
- date and place of birth;
- citizenship;
- SNILS;
- passport data or data of another identification document of a foreign citizen;
- indicate the details of the employment contract, including its date of signing and validity period;
- information about the place of stay indicating the period of stay;
- contact information for communication.
Documents of the foreign citizen must be attached to the application.
How to apply for a compulsory medical insurance policy
Compulsory health insurance (CHI) is a Russian system of social protection of citizens' interests in the field of health care. It provides the opportunity to receive free medical and pharmaceutical care. Compulsory medical insurance policies are issued by insurance companies (ICs) that operate in the field of compulsory health insurance and are licensed to carry out such activities.
A citizen of Belarus can choose any insurer at his discretion. To obtain a compulsory medical insurance policy, he needs to write an application and indicate in it the following information:
- surname, first name, patronymic;
- gender;
- date and place of birth;
- citizenship;
- SNILS number;
- passport details;
- details of the employment contract, including the start and end date of work activity;
- place of residence and length of stay;
- phone number;
- email address.
This paper is submitted in two copies. On one of them, a representative of the insurance company will put an acceptance stamp and give this document to the foreigner. To receive a compulsory medical insurance policy, a Belarusian must attach to the application:
- passport;
- certificate of compulsory pension insurance;
- employment contract;
- notification form for the arrival of a foreign citizen.
On the same day, the insurance company will issue a temporary compulsory medical insurance policy to the Belarusian. A foreigner can receive medical services under it for 30 days. After this time, he needs to go to the insurer again and pick up the main compulsory medical insurance form. According to it, a citizen of Belarus can receive free treatment until the end of the calendar year, but not longer than the duration of the employment contract. After this period, the policy will become invalid and, if necessary, insurance will need to be issued again.
A Belarusian can receive a compulsory medical insurance form not only at the IC office, but also at the MFC (multifunctional center) or through the official website of the State Services. The application and documents are prepared in the same way as written above.
Documents for compulsory medical insurance for a foreign citizen
- passport or other document proving the identity of a foreign citizen;
- SNILS;
- employment contract;
- a detachable part of the notification form about the arrival of a foreign citizen or stateless person at the place of stay or a copy thereof indicating the place and period of stay.
Having received an application for choosing an insurance medical organization from a foreign citizen, the insurance medical organization issues a temporary certificate to the insured person, which confirms the registration of the policy for the foreign citizen and certifies his right to free medical care in the event of an insured event until the receipt of the policy, but no more than 30 working days from the date issuing it.
After this, insured foreign citizens are informed about the deadline for registration and issuance of a compulsory medical insurance policy in person or by telephone, which was indicated in the application.
After the foreign citizen receives notification that the policy is ready, he will need to come to the policy issuing point where he submitted the application and exchange the temporary certificate for a permanent compulsory health insurance policy of a uniform standard.
Important!
The medical insurance organization must familiarize the insured foreign citizen receiving the policy with the Rules of compulsory health insurance, the basic program of compulsory health insurance, the territorial program of compulsory health insurance, the list of medical organizations that participate in the field of compulsory health insurance in a given subject of the Russian Federation.
Also, along with the compulsory medical insurance policy, the medical insurance organization must provide information about the rights of the insured persons in the field of compulsory health insurance and contact numbers of the territorial compulsory health insurance fund and the medical insurance organization that issued the policy, in the form of a memo.
What does a compulsory medical insurance policy give to a citizen of the EAEU?
The compulsory medical insurance policy certifies the right of the insured person to free medical care in the territory of the Russian Federation in the amount provided for by the basic compulsory health insurance program.
Also, the compulsory medical insurance policy for citizens of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan who are officially employed by Russian companies gives the right to free emergency medical care to foreign citizens in the event of life-threatening conditions or those requiring urgent medical intervention.
