Armenia’s Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan announced that the country will launch a comprehensive health insurance system in three stages starting in 2026 and completing in 2028, Armenpress reports.

In the first phase, which begins in 2026, the program will cover:

• Children under 18
• Citizens aged 65 and older
• Adults aged 18–65 with disabilities
• Individuals scoring 28 or more on the poverty scale
• People earning more than 200,000 drams per month from salary or other income

This initial stage is expected to include about 1.6 million citizens who have lived in Armenia for at least the past 183 days.

The second stage is scheduled for 2027, followed by the final phase in 2028.

The annual cost of the insurance package will be 129,600 drams. Covered services will include:

• Preventive and early-detection screening programs
• Hospital care
• Medication coverage
• Emergency medical services

These services will be clearly defined by government decisions.

Avanesyan stressed that the reform aims to overcome the issue of underutilization of medical services.

In related comments, Avanesyan said no medical institutions will be closed, and regional centers will be fully modernized under the national master plan.