Free Healthcare Services in Kyrgyzstan: What Can Citizens Count On?

Yes, free healthcare services can be provided in Kyrgyzstan under the Programme of State Guarantees. It determines the guaranteed scope, types and conditions of healthcare services for Kyrgyzstanis.

According to the ministry of health, 64 family medicine centres, 28 general practice centres, with 696 general practitioner groups, 17 independent legal general practitioner groups and 1,030 rural health posts provide healthcare services to the population.

The Programme of State Guarantees also sets forth the list of people who are entitled to pharmaceutical support at reduced prices. According to its conditions, healthcare and pharmaceutical services are provided by healthcare organisations and pharmacies that have entered into contracts for execution of the Programme of State Warranties and additional programme of compulsory medical insurance with the state body responsible for compulsory medical insurance.

 To get free healthcare services or services at reduced prices, the Kyrgyzstanis need to submit a package of documents, namely:

– a passport or birth certificate of children under 16

– a certificate of child birth (for children)

– pension certificate

– compulsory medical insurance policy (OMS)

– referral.

 Yes, if you have an OMS policy, you can get free healthcare services at outpatient departments. The same is valid if you pay compulsory medical insurance contributions independently.

Moreover, free healthcare services may be delivered to:

1. Working employees who pay contributions to compulsory medical insurance.
2. Persons who receive monthly social benefits.
3. Members of farm households.
4. Pensioners under 70.
5. Children under 16 (students of general educational institutions – before they complete studies, but not more than 18 years old).
6. The unemployed officially registered with state employment agencies.
7. Full-time students of secondary and higher educational institutions before they reach the age of 21.
8. The military personnel.

The compulsory medical insurance policy can be obtained from territorial offices of the OMS Fund or primary level organisations – from general practitioner groups or family medicine centre.

Once you obtain the OMS policy, you get the status of an insured and the right to receive healthcare services under state programmes. However, the policy is valid for a limited period – 12 months following the date of purchase and it is a paid one. Its price is 1,200 som.

To register the OMS policy, you should:

Step 1. Apply for the policy

Step 2. Pay the cost of the OMS policy to the cash office of the territorial department of FOMS, and get the receipt

Step 3. If you do not have a personal identification number of the Social Fund, but you are the citizen of Kyrgyzstan, you should apply for the personal identification number (PIN).

Yes, the OMS policy may be denied:

• To persons under 18;
• Upon presentation of identity documents of an unknown form (with defects, erasures, blots);
• To a person who has no official authority to act on behalf another person (a notarised power of attorney, documents proving the kinship);
• If no receipt confirms payment for the OMS policy.

Yes, working citizens who contribute to the Social Fund (or their employer does the same) have a right to various types of healthcare services under the Programme of State Guarantees.

According to the law “On insurance rates under the state social insurance”, the employer must pay contribution in favour of employed workers every month at the rate of 17.25%. In this amount, the money is allocated as follows:

To the pension fund – 15%;

To the Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund (FOMS) – 2%;

To the Employee Recovery Fund – 0.25%.

If you are an individual entrepreneur, you also pay social contributions based on the type of the patent and purposes of your activity:

Under mandatory patent – 10%

Under voluntary patent – 6%.

According to the law, if you pay social contributions every month, but you don’t have the OMS policy, you can obtain the following types of free healthcare services under the Programme of State Guarantees:

– primary healthcare services;

– emergency healthcare services in community setting;

– emergency counselling medical healthcare (air medical service);

– hospital care if your life is at risk. After you have recovered from this condition, you pay for your stay in the hospital.

– dental care;

– vaccination according to the National Calendar of Preventive Vaccinations and Epidemiological Vaccinations.

Yes, you will have more privileges in treatment, including in the hospital. Once you acquire the OMS policy, you also have a right to all kinds of healthcare services as a healthy working citizen. This list contains following benefits:

– You can do laboratory and diagnostic tests in Family Medicine Centres and General Practice Centres;

– You pay only 50 per cent of healthcare services if you need after-care and physical therapy;

– You pay 50 per cent of price under the price list if you need inpatient care;

– You pay 50 per cent of the cost of laboratory and diagnostic tests in outpatient diagnostic and advisory diagnostic units of hospitals if you have a referral;

– If you have a referral to the scheduled hospital treatment, you make a middle-level co-payment for treatment by therapist – 840-1,160 som (9.9-13.6 dollars, in case of treatment at the republican hospital, the fee will be higher). If you receive treatment at a surgeon, co-payment will be 1,090-1,510 som (12.85-17.81 dollars);

– You make a middle-level co-payment for cancer treatment at the hospital. The cost, according to approved price list, is 2,099-4,198 som (24.7-49.5 dollars) for treatment at therapist, and 12,220-3,055 som (144-36 dollars depending on the day hospital or full-time hospital) for surgery;

– You make a middle-level payment for the scheduled hematologic care at the hospital – 1,190 som (14 dollars);

– You may receive medications via pharmacies if you have a prescription under the additional compulsory medical insurance programme.

No, you may not. Healthcare services may be provided to the unregistered residents regardless of their rights to benefits on a fee basis according to the price list.

In turn, after-care and physical therapy for the insured people is free of charge, and for the rest of people it is on a fee-paying basis.

 Yes, according to the law, all Kyrgyzstanis can rely on free emergency care, including provision with medications and medical devices. Indications for emergency care can be conditions that are threatening to life and requiring immediate medical intervention (an accident, injury, intoxication, other conditions and diseases) provided by:

– emergency service;

– healthcare organisations regardless of ownership;

– emergency advisory healthcare.

Emergency care is provided 24/7 and without delay.

Hospital care is free of charge if a man is admitted for emergency reasons until the man recovers from the life-threatening condition. Afterwards, the patient is transferred to treatment in some cases.

Only some categories of people can get free hospital care.

The following citizens if they make a minimum-level co-payment:

– pensioners under 70;

– persons awarded with the Veteran of Labour medal;

– persons who receive social benefits.

The following citizens if they make a middle-level co-payment:

– citizens who are insured under compulsory medical insurance, including the ones who have the OMS policy, who pay contributions to compulsory medical insurance on their own.

If you don’t have the OMS policy, you will have to pay for healthcare services in full.

No, they don’t have to pay for treatment if they provide a certificate from social protection bodies or aiyl okmotu.

By decision of the medical control board, the following categories shall be exempted from co-payment for healthcare services:

• persons with no fixed abode
• persons who have no documents upon admission
• compulsory-duty servicemen

Their treatment fee is charged at the healthcare organisation.

No, he doesn’t. The treatment and advisory services are free of charge. Moreover, all relevant laboratory tests and advisory and treatment services are provided free of charge to:

– children under 18;

– the military personnel under contract (officers, warrant officers, master sergeants, sergeants and private corps), and compulsory duty servicemen;

– internationalist soldiers who have become disabled after the military service;

– participants and persons who have become disabled after the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster;

– persons who undergo initial psychiatric examination, initial forensic psychiatric examination, initial forensic psychological examination and initial forensic psychiatric and psychological examination by decision of court or investigating agencies;

– persons who receive monthly social benefits.

The remaining categories of people as well as persons who undergo repeated psychiatric examination should pay for consultations and treatment.

As for co-payment in hospital for psychiatric care, only persons who have mental diseases are exempt from such co-payment. The exemption does not apply to cases of hospitalisation to psychosomatics and drug addiction units.

According to the Programme of State Guarantees, laboratory and diagnostic tests and advisory and treatment services are provided free of charge to:

– registered persons;

– children under 18;

– participants and disabled veterans of the Great Patriotic War, survivors of Leningrad siege, minor prisoners of concentration camps;

– the military personnel under contract (officers, warrant officers, master sergeants, sergeants and private corps), and compulsory duty servicemen;

– internationalist soldiers who have become disabled after the military service;

– participants and persons who have become disabled after the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster;

– persons who receive monthly benefits with children under 16;

– persons with disabilities and group 1 disabled persons due to labour injuries, occupational or general disease;

– persons with acute and chronic leukaemia;

– haemophiliacs;

– persons with malignant lymphadenosis, including lymphogranuloma;

– patients with aplastic anaemia;

– patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

The scheduled specialised oncology care in hospitals is free for the following persons:

• children under 18;
• participants and disabled veterans of the Great Patriotic War, survivors of Leningrad siege, minor prisoners of concentration camps;
• internationalist soldiers who have become disabled after the military service;
• participants and persons who have become disabled after the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster;
• persons who need repeated surgery and repeated radiation therapy within 12 months;
• compulsory-duty servicemen.

Minimum-level co-payment is required from:

• pensioners and labour veterans older than 70;
• persons with disabilities since childhood;
• persons who receive monthly benefits with children under 16;
• “ui-bulogo komok”;
• persons with disabilities and with group 1 disability due to labour injury, occupational or general disease;

Middle-level co-payment is required from:

• citizens insured under compulsory medical insurance;
• military personnel under contract (officers, warrant officers, master sergeants, sergeants and private corps).

No, he doesn’t. In case of a hospital treatment, co-payment is not charged to patients who are treated in chemotherapy and palliative care units.

Yes, he should make a middle-level co-payment in the amount of 1,190 som (14 dollars). Haematological care is provided free of charge only to:

– patients with acute and chronic leukaemia;

– haemophiliacs;

– patients with malignant lymphoma, including lymphogranuloma;

– patients with aplastic anaemia;

– patients with myelodysplastic syndromes;

– participants and disabled veterans of the Great Patriotic War, survivors of Leningrad siege, minor prisoners of concentration camps;

– internationalist soldiers who have become disabled after the military service;

– participants and persons who have become disabled after the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster;

– compulsory-duty servicemen;

Upon minimum-level co-payment of 330 som (3.89 dollars), the following categories will be treated:

– children under 18 who suffered from the Chernobyl disaster;

– pensioners and labour veterans older than 70;

– persons with disabilities since childhood;

– persons who receive monthly benefits;

Upon middle-level co-payment of 1,190 som (14 dollars), the following categories will be treated:

– citizens with compulsory medical insurance;

– the military personnel under contract (officers, warrant officers, master sergeants, sergeants and private corps).

All citizens may receive the following kinds of dental care at family medicine centres and general practice centres:

– training on how to take care of teeth and tunica mucosa of mouth;

– preventive examinations of oral cavity of children in preschool facilities, students at schools, pregnant women registered with healthcare facilities;

– emergency dental care, including necessary medications;

– oral cavity hygiene – children under 10, pensioners older than 70, pregnant women registered with healthcare facilities at the place of residence (registration).

Yes, he does. According to the Programme of State Guarantees, patients with chronic diseases requiring long or constant use of drugs qualify for free drugs if they have following conditions:

– type 1 diabetes;

– type 2 diabetes;

– diabetes insipidus;

– haemophilia;

– tuberculosis.

Outpatient children under 16 who have haemophilia also qualify for free drugs.

 No, they cannot. Drugs and medications are dispensed free of charge only via family medicine centres, general practitioner groups, general practice centres, and via the city endocrinological dispensary in Bishkek.

Kyrgyzstan has the regulation on preferential provision of medicines to the people at the outpatient level under the Programme of State Guarantees and Additional programme for compulsory medical insurance. The regulation specifies which drugs and which list of categories of people may qualify for free of charge drugs.

To buy the drug at a reduced price in the pharmacy, the patient needs to provide the doctor’s prescription. If the drug is dispensed from the pharmacy, the patient shall only pay a part of the drug price, and the remaining part shall be payable by the Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund or the national budget.

Pharmacies shall always dispense drugs under the Programme of State Guarantees at reduced prices to:

• patients with paranoid schizophrenia;
• patients with affective disorders of various origin;
• epileptics;
• patients with bronchial asthma;
• hypertensive patients;
• cancer patients in terminal phase.

Under the additional OMS programme, pharmacies may dispense drugs at reduced prices to:

• insured citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic;
• the employees whose insurance payments are paid by the employer to the Social Fund;
• pensioners;
• persons who receive social allowance;
• children under 16;
• farmers and farm members who make insurance payments to the Social Fund;
• persons who have OMS policy.

 The FOMS website contains a list of pharmacies that dispense drugs at reduced prices. For a full list of pharmacies and their locations, please see.

In turn, the list of drugs reimbursed to the insured category of people under the Additional Programme of OMS is available here.

The ground for receiving drugs under the Additional Programme of OMS will be 2 conditions:

• insured Kyrgyzstanis must be registered with the General Practitioner Group;
• employed citizens and farmers must have a PIN issued by the Social Fund.

According to the Programme of State Guarantees, citizens must also be registered with the General Practitioner Groups, have a PIN, and be registered with the clinic.

 According to the Programme of state guarantees, the list contains:

1. Participants of the Great Patriotic war.
2. Disabled veterans of the Great Patriotic war and Batken events.
3. Citizens who were injured during combat operations against international terrorism and acquired disability.
4. Citizens awarded with the USSR orders and medals for dedicated service and honourable military service in the rear during the Great Patriotic war.
5. Former prisoners of concentration camps.
6. Survivors of Leningrad siege.
7. Veterans of labour at the age of 70+
8. Persons awarded with Baatyr Ene order and Mother-Heroine order.
9. Citizens who were illegally mobilised by force to labour army during the Great Patriotic war and then rehabilitated.
10. Heroes of the Soviet Union and persons awarded with three classes of the Order of Glory.
11. Heroes of socialist labour.
12. Citizens awarded with the highest degree of distinction “Kyrgyz Respublikasynyn Baatyry”, Manas order of the 1^st
13. Participants in hostilities in the territory of other states.
14. Citizens who suffered from the Chernobyl disaster.
15. People with disabilities who were wounded and injured in the performance of military service.
16. Family members of deceased and missing persons (parents (father, mother) upon reaching retirement age, if the deceased was the only child; children under the age of 18) who have suffered serious, less serious and minor injuries, which is confirmed by the forensic medical examination, persons recognised as having disabilities as a result of injuries sustained in the events of March 17, 2002 in Aksy district, Dzhalal-Abad region, of April 6, 2010 in Talas region, of April 7, 2010 in the cities of Bishkek and Naryn, of May 13,14,19, 2010 in Dzhalal-Abad region, and of June 2010 in the city of Osh, Osh and Dzhalal-Abad regions.
17. Persons with disabilities in disability groups I and II as a result of industrial injury, occupational or general disease.
18. Persons with visual and hearing disabilities.
19. Persons with disabilities since childhood.
20. Children with special needs up to the age of 18.
21. Children under 6.
22. Orphans living in state orphanages, family-style orphanages (foster families), foster homes for orphans and children left without parental care.
23. Citizens living in residential centres for the elderly and persons with special needs.
24. Citizens qualifying for induction are referred by military medical commissions for medical examination at the outpatient level or for treatment in hospital.
25. Compulsory-duty servicemen in cases where they are unable to receive qualified medical care in departmental healthcare facilities or during military service.
26. Persons living with HIV/AIDS.
27. Children from low-income households under 16 studying at educational facilities before they complete studies, but not older than 18, if they produce a certificate from the social development agencies.
28. Pensioners at the age of 70+.
29. Persons under pre-trial investigation, as well as persons serving sentences, in the event of a state of emergency.
30. Graduates of orphanages and boarding schools, left without parental care under the age of 23.

According to the Programme of State Guarantees, this list contains 17 categories of people:

1. Pregnant women registered with healthcare facilities.
2. Hospitalised women with pathological pregnancy (as primary diagnosis).
3. Women admitted for reason of termination of pregnancy for social and medical indications.
4. Women admitted for delivery.
5. Women with postpartum complications within 10 weeks after delivery.
6. Tuberculosis patients.
7. Patients with bronchial asthma.
8. Patients with cancer in terminal stage.
9. Patients with mental disorders (paranoid schizophrenia, chronic delusional disorders, affective disorders of various origin).
10. Epileptics.
11. Patients with diabetes mellitus.
12. Patients with diabetes insipidus.
13. Contact persons and patients with diseases caused by highly infectious and quarantine infections (typhoid fever, paratyphoid, anthrax, plague).
14. Patients with rabies and persons who have contacted the patient and could possibly be affected by rabies.
15. Patients with meningococcal meningitis.
16. Patients with haemophilia.
17. Contact persons and patients with coronavirus infection (COVID-19), either confirmed or not confirmed by laboratory tests.

According to the law, citizens must pay according to the pricelist of expensive tests under the law for:

– angiography of peripheral vessels, cerebral vessels and internal organs;

– angiography of cardiac failures;

– haemoadsorption;

– haemodialysis;

– computer tomography;

– coronary angiography;

– plasmapheresis;

– nuclear magnetic resonance tomography;

– lithotripsy.

Expensive laboratory and diagnostic tests, manipulations in state and municipal healthcare facilities are performed free of charge upon presentation of referral to a relevant specialist, for persons disabled during the Great Patriotic war, and participants of the Great Patriotic war.

If your rights to healthcare have been violated, you can call the hotline of the Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund and report the fact.

Every branch of the Fund has hotlines, where you can consult and obtain full information about benefits and other questions regarding the Programme of State Guarantees. The Kyrgyzstanis may call the following phone numbers:

Bishkek: 0312 64 41 09, 0312 66 05 29

Chui: 0312 66 62 66

Osh: 03222 7 16 34

Dzhalal-Abad: 03722 5 31 82

Talas: 03422 5 24 84

Batken: 03622 5 06 40

Issyk-Kul: 03922 5 11 72

Нарын: 03522 5 04 67

Address of the OMS Fund: 122 Chui Ave., Bishkek, 720040

Tel.: (0312) 66 35 51, 66 52 42, 66 05 29

Fax: (0312) 66 06 57, 62 65 01

E-mail: pr@foms.med.kg