Taxi drivers to join health insurance in 2027

PanARMENIAN.Net - The first phase of Armenia's universal health insurance system, launched on January 1, has progressed smoothly, with the number of beneficiaries now reaching about 1.7 million, Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan said.

The minister announced that from January 1, 2027, the universal health insurance system will also cover workers employed under civil law contracts, taxi drivers and all registered employees, regardless of their salary level, Armenpress reported.

"In addition, during the upcoming budget discussions, we plan to consider including new categories of beneficiaries," Avanesyan said.

She added that from January 1, 2028, the system is expected to expand to all citizens, including those engaged in agriculture, students and other groups.

Since January 1 this year, 842,750 citizens have received medical services under the universal health insurance system. A total of 8,399,491 medical services have been provided, while the program's financial implementation has reached 97.4 billion drams, Avanesyan said during a June 30 meeting with reporters, according to Armenpress.

The minister noted that the process of enrolling medical centers into the system had also proceeded without difficulties. She attributed the increase in beneficiaries to several factors.

"The number of people who have resided in Armenia for 183 days and obtained resident status has increased, and they are automatically included in the system. At the same time, the number of employees earning more than 200,000 drams per month has also risen," she said.

According to Avanesyan, the goal is to extend universal health insurance coverage to about 3 million people. From the same period, the state-funded healthcare program is expected to be largely phased out in favor of a full transition to the new system.

Armenia's law on universal health insurance entered into force on January 1, 2026, with implementation taking place in stages. During the first phase, the system covers citizens earning more than 200,000 drams per month. Their annual insurance package is valued at 129,600 drams and includes preventive care, early detection and screening services, hospital treatment, medication coverage and emergency medical services.