Dental care is a demanded type of care within the national healthcare.
The Social Health Insurance Fund reported that the volume of dental services provided under mandatory health insurance system in 2021 increased by 50%.
As part of covered serviced within the mandatory health insurance, dental services were provided 1,5 times more often than in 2020. Majority of service recipients were children under 17 years old – who received 5.9 million units of services.
The Social Health Insurance Fund reminded that the launch of the mandatory social health insurance system made it possible for children and pregnant women to receive free-of-charge planned dental care, and, for the first time to provide free-of-charge free-of-charge dental care to the following entitled groups: retired people, mothers with 4 or more children, the disabled, the unemployed who care for the disabled, targeted social assistance recipients, as well as patients registered with certain diseases.
“With the launch of the mandatory social health insurance, from January 1, 2020, certain dental services became available for defined categories of the population. In 2020, the first year since the launch, 6.8 million units of dental services were provided. A year later, there was an increase in consumption of dental care under the insurance by one and a half times – up to 10 million services. Increased funding for dental care has resulted in better coverage of patients who need it” the Fund reported.
Over the past two years, more than 16.8 million dental services for 37 billion tenge have been provided as part of financing for mandatory social health insurance. In 2022, according to the procurement plan, dental services will be provided for 22.7 billion tenge – more than any one given year in the past.
The Fund reminded that dental care is provided based on patient’s free choice of a health care organization, meaning that a referral from a PHC doctor is not required. Providers who are reimbursed under the mandatory social health insurance include private dentistries, which has an agreement with the Social Health Insurance Fund, and dental offices at public polyclinics (primary health care organizations).
More than 600 health care organizations across the country provide dental services under mandatory social health insurance.
Source: Social Health Insurance Fund of Kazakhstan.
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