Mikhail Murashko: There will be an increase in free healthcare options for Russians.

The government has approved the State Guarantee Program for the provision of free medical assistance to citizens from 2025 to 2027. At the request of "Komsomolskaya Pravda," the Minister of Health clarified the features and innovations of this program in a special article.

Thus, the government of the Russian Federation has approved the State Guarantee Program for free medical assistance to citizens for 2025 and the planned period of 2026 and 2027. This program has been developed taking into account the goals of the new National Project "Long and Active Life."

The volume of funds allocated for the implementation of the basic and territorial compulsory health insurance programs has been unprecedentedly increasing in recent years. For the territorial compulsory health insurance programs, it amounted to 3.6 trillion rubles (an increase of 16.7% compared to 2024), and for the provision of the basic compulsory health insurance program by federal medical organizations - 250.9 billion rubles (an increase of 17.4% compared to 2024). As a result, the program allows for an increase in spending on all types of medical assistance provided to citizens for free, including preventive medical check-ups, medical rehabilitation, inpatient treatment, and emergency medical assistance.

ABOUT DISPENSARIZATION AND CHECK-UPS

It is important to note that high volumes of preventive measures are maintained: in 2025, more than 100 million Russians will be able to undergo preventive check-ups or dispensarization. To bring these services closer to the citizen's place of residence, work, or study, mobile medical teams can be formed for check-ups and dispensarization. Insurance medical organizations will inform citizens about the date and location of such teams at least 3 working days in advance by all available means.

For the early detection of reproductive system disorders, standards for conducting dispensarization to assess reproductive health are being established for the first time. More than 19 million citizens aged 18 to 49 will be able to receive the corresponding range of medical assistance.

If a medical organization lacks an obstetrician-gynecologist, urologist, or surgeon trained in reproductive health, it will engage doctors from other medical organizations to conduct dispensarization, with mandatory notification to the citizen about the date and time of these doctors' work at least 3 working days before the appointment.

Citizens will be informed about the opportunity to undergo dispensarization, including in-depth check-ups, by insurance medical organizations, as well as through the Unified Portal of State and Municipal Services, mobile communication networks (SMS messages), and other accessible means of communication.

Based on the results of in-depth dispensarization, if chronic non-communicable diseases are detected, the citizen will be sent for additional examinations and placed under dispensary observation within 3 working days in the established manner.

AVAILABLE RESEARCH

The volume of medical assistance for conducting specific, costly diagnostic (laboratory) studies has significantly increased (CT scans - up by 14%, MRI - by 21%, ultrasound of the cardiovascular system - by 29%, endoscopic studies - by 14%, and pathological-anatomical studies (histology, etc.) - by 78%). Additionally, for the first time, volumes for positron emission tomography and single-photon emission computed tomography have been established. This will enhance the accessibility of these types of studies for patients.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SERVICE

The capabilities of artificial intelligence technologies in decision support systems for conducting functional studies (mammography, chest X-rays or fluorography, chest CT) are being expanded. Decision support systems accelerate the diagnostic process and help minimize medical errors in interpreting study results.

ABOUT PATIENT SCHOOLS AND HEALTH CENTERS

For the first time, significant opportunities for patient schools for chronic disease management are provided - 30 million comprehensive visits, including 820,000 for diabetes patients. Patients will receive all necessary information about the specifics of their condition and risk factors, fostering a conscious attitude towards their illness and promoting health-preserving behavior.

Preventive medicine will develop through the expansion of the functions of health centers - 4.8 million working citizens will have access to in-depth individual consultations on healthy lifestyle management, participate in group sessions on smoking cessation, increasing physical activity, disease prevention, as well as undergo dispensary observation.

THE EMPLOYER'S ROLE

Organization of dispensary observation for working citizens can also be carried out by the employer if they have a doctor's office, health post, or medical unit providing medical assistance to the organization's employees or by entering into a contract with a state medical organization participating in the implementation of the basic compulsory health insurance program.

If the medical organization conducting the dispensary observation of the working citizen is not the one to which they are attached, that organization will send information about the results of the dispensary observation to the medical organization to which the citizen is attached using the unified state information system in healthcare within 3 working days after receiving the results.

Upon discharge of a patient requiring further dispensary observation from the hospital after receiving specialized, including high-tech, medical assistance, information about the patient will be sent to the clinic at their place of residence within one day to organize dispensary observation (within 5 working days after receiving this information) and, if necessary, medical rehabilitation.

ABOUT TELEMEDICINE AND MOBILE TEAMS

The State Guarantee Program has strengthened the role of telemedicine consultations to bring narrow-profile medical assistance closer to all citizens, regardless of their place of residence, provided by leading scientific centers in the country. The program includes the expansion of outpatient replacement technologies by developing home hospitalization for residents of sparsely populated, remote, and hard-to-reach areas.

For citizens living in remote areas and rural areas, outpatient assistance from narrow specialists is provided using mobile medical teams according to a schedule, information about which is communicated to citizens through accessible means involving local government bodies.

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The new program provides for an increase in spending on all types of medical assistance provided for free.

Photo: Nikolai OBEREMCHENKO. Go to the KP Photo Bank

PROVISION OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

The financial expenditure norms for emergency medical assistance have been increased by 17%.

For the first time, the Program establishes guaranteed funding for emergency medical assistance: the funds planned for its payment cannot be used for other types of medical assistance, and in case of a shortfall, their source will be interbudgetary transfers from the budget of the respective subject of the Russian Federation.

FIGHTING CANCER DISEASES

In 2025, a program for the re-equipment of radiology departments will be launched, increasing the accessibility of oncological assistance. Specifically, a growth of 18% in day hospitals and 12.7% in round-the-clock care is planned compared to last year. Additionally, before assigning chemotherapy regimens to patients with cancer, molecular genetic and immunohistochemical studies will be mandatory.

HIGH-TECH MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

The compulsory health insurance program has been supplemented with 43 new modern methods of high-tech medical assistance: valve prosthetics in cardiovascular surgery, reconstructive surgeries for injuries, organ-preserving surgeries using robotics on the pancreas, liver, bile ducts, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, etc.

Another significant innovation is the availability of unique expensive health restoration technologies under the compulsory health insurance policy. In 2025, the list was further expanded with two exclusive methods for saving the lives of patients with serious cardiovascular diseases: implantation of frequency-adapted pacemakers and endovascular destruction of additional conduction pathways and arrhythmogenic zones of the heart.

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And what else

Photo: Dmitry POLUKHIN. Go to the KP Photo Bank

ASSISTANCE TO VETERANS OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS

In 2025, declared by the President of the Russian Federation as the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland, the program approved a separate procedure for providing medical assistance to specific categories of combat veterans and clarified the procedure for interaction with the State Fund for Supporting Participants of the Special Military Operation "Defenders of the Fatherland."

Primary medical and sanitary assistance to these insured categories should be provided proactively, with specific features for conducting their dispensarization and expanding the list of specialists involved. This is particularly important for those special military operation participants who come into the civilian healthcare system after sustaining injuries and trauma, including for rehabilitation. Dynamic monitoring can be organized using telemedicine technologies.

For special military operation participants, selected clinics will