The Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan has reviewed and approved in the first reading a draft law aimed at improving the Mandatory Social Health Insurance (MSHI) system.
A key condition for a successful transition is a high level of citizen participation in the Mandatory Social Health Insurance system.
As of today, 16.9 million people in Kazakhstan are insured (83% of the population), of which 11.9 million are beneficiaries from preferential categories for whom the government pays contributions.
However, around 3.4 million citizens remain outside the system, including:
• 2.4 million economically active citizens with a satisfactory income level,
• 1 million individuals from vulnerable groups with low income, classified under crisis and emergency levels of social well-being.
In this regard, the draft law includes mechanisms to increase MSHI coverage among vulnerable populations, in line with the instructions of the Head of State dated February 7, 2024:
• Local executive bodies will be required to make contributions to the MSHI system for specific categories of citizens from local budgets;
• It is also proposed that the responsibility for paying contributions for officially registered unemployed individuals be transferred to local budgets, ensuring a fair distribution of the financial burden between the national and local levels.
As a result of these measures, more than 1 million additional people are expected to be covered by the MSHI system in 2026, providing:
• access to planned and quality medical care for an additional 5% of the population,
• improvement of the overall health and well-being of citizens.
Starting in 2027, Kazakhstan plans to transition to a fully developed insurance model with a higher level of shared responsibility between the state, employers, and citizens themselves.
For able-bodied citizens who have not yet joined the MSHI system (approximately 2.4 million people), the proposed contribution terms remain financially accessible:
4,250 tenge per month or 51,000 tenge per year.
🛡These measures will implement the principles of shared responsibility enshrined in the Code “On the Health of the People and the Healthcare System,” ensuring fair access to medical care regardless of a citizen’s social status.
Stay updated on our website https://ksph.edu.kz and on our Telegram channel Mediclub.
