CSOs ask Russia’s Health Ministry to amend 2023 plan for free medical treatment

CSOs ask the Health Ministry to amend the 2023 plan guaranteeing free medical treatment

Patient groups say that the current version of the plan may make some highly effective treatments for those with serious immune-mediated diseases unavailable

14.10.2022

Trust, an organisation which supports patients with inflammatory bowel disease and short bowel syndrome, and the community organisation Skin and Allergic Diseases, have written to the Ministry of Health about the plan guaranteeing free medical treatment in 2023 and the 2024-25 planning period.

The letter states that the plan would mean that genetically engineered biological treatments, selective immunosuppressants and changes in therapy would henceforth only be available within the High-tech Medical Treatment Scheme.   But the continuation of treatment would only be available under the Compulsory Health Insurance Scheme’s Clinical Statistical Group System for the use of genetically-engineered biological treatments and selective immune-suppressants.

The risk is that that highly-effective treatments for patients with serious immune-mediated diseases may become unavailable due to:

  • Not all regional treatment centres having a licence to administer high-tech medical treatment. This means patients will have to travel outside their region, which is not always possible.
  • Patients requiring continuing treatment will need to find a treatment centre that can provide treatment under the Compulsory Medical Insurance Scheme’s Clinical Statistical Group System.

“In the interests of patients the right step has to be offering initial therapies in both the High-tech Medical Treatment programme as well as in healthcare facilities under the Compulsory Medical Insurance Clinical Statistical Group System.  This would ensure the latter received  a higher rate for initial genetically engineered biological treatments and selective immunosuppressants” notes the president of the community organisation Skin and Allergic Diseases Stanslav Mishin.

The organisations have asked for clarifications in the plan on state guarantees in order to minimise patient risk.

Source:  https://www.asi.org.ru/news/2022/10/14/nko-prosyat-minzdrav/

 

 

 

 

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