Healthcare Quality in Armenia: How Repatriates Can Ensure They Receive the Best Care

Navigating life in a new country can be tough, especially when it comes to figuring out how to access the health care system. Understanding your options before you get sick or face a health emergency is a key part of making the most of your start in Armenia.

Armenia has a mixed health care system with both public and private services - each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Since 2018, the government of Armenia has been investing more heavily into improving the public health care system, though some resource and infrastructure challenges remain. Many repatriates to Armenia use private clinics as a supplement to public health care, since they tend to be more modern with reduced wait times.

Your Guide to Public and Private Healthcare in Armenia

Public Healthcare in Armenia

Through national law, everyone in Armenia has the right to health care, including foreign nationals. However, this can mean different things depending on the type of care required:

• Health services providers are required to provide emergency first aid to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay
• Medical care for all citizens under 18 is completely free
• The basic benefits package (BBP) covers primary care for the entire population. Armenia is moving towards universal health coverage by expanding the BBP  basic benefits package (BBP), though it currently only has limited coverage for inpatient/outpatient care.

Accessing Public Health Services

• To access public healthcare services, residents must sign a contract to register as a patient  at a local ‘polyclinic’ using your passport and social security number
• Public healthcare includes access to primary care (for check-ups, vaccinations, treatment for common illnesses), some hospital care, maternity care, and emergency services
• Access to services may be limited depending on where you live; in rural areas, clinics may not offer the full range of services
  • Rural patients may need to travel to Yerevan to see specialists, to access certain diagnostic tools, or for complex care

Private Healthcare in Armenia

Many residents in Armenia use private healthcare services to avoid wait times, to access more modern facilities, and to receive care from specialists. Private care could be costly depending on which services you access - while a check-up is typically around 10,000-15,000 AMD ($38 USD), other health care services such as an MRI can cost 75,000 AMD ($150 USD).

Accessing Private Health Services

• To access private health services, you can simply call one of the private clinics or go in person to make an appointment
• Clinics like Wigmore, Nairi Medical Center, the Vardanants Center for Innovative Medicine, and Maple Leafs Armenian-Canadian Medical Clinic offer high quality care, including primary care as well as a variety of specialized care services

How to Choose the Right Provider or Clinic?
To find a provider who suits your needs:

1. Search for doctors online
   1. Doctors.am allows you to browse through active doctors in Armenia across specialties, view their credentials and training, and contact individual doctors.
2. Use community reviews
   1. Yandex.reu is often used by patients in Armenia to review medical centers and clinics
   2. Google Reviews also offers patient reviews and can provide insight into quality of treatment and facilities
   3. For Russian speakers, Med-Otzyv offers patient reviews of specific doctors in Armenia
3. Tap into community advice
   1. Use networks such as the Armenian Repatriates Network to get referrals to specific doctors from other repats
   2. Telegram groups, such as Relocation to Armenia offer forums where you can ask for tips, advice, and community support to find trusted doctors and clinics
4. Visit clinics in person
   1. Visit clinics and ask questions to learn more about services and make your own assessment about the staff, level of service, wait times, cleanliness, and quality of the facility
5. Consider your language abilities
   1. If your Armenian language abilities are limited, consider searching in advance for clinics with staff who can speak in your native language to have their contact information handy in case of emergency
   2. Maple Leafs Armenian-Canadian Medical Clinic and Wigmore have staff members who speak English

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Health Insurance in Armenia

Repats may want to consider obtaining health insurance to avoid paying high fees out-of-pocket for medical care.

• Sign up for public health insurance at your local polyclinic to cover yourself for general check-ups, vaccinations, and other primary care services
• Some organizations in Armenia offer insurance packages to cover their employees - check with your employer before signing up for a private insurance plan
• Some private insurance providers in Armenia do not offer individual health plans, and those that do may offer only limited coverage and may exclude expensive services like surgeries

Repat Armenia Insurance Plan

• Repat Armenia offers affordable group health insurance specifically for repatriates through Nairi Insurance. Some advantages of the plan include:
  • Low premiums with comprehensive coverage
  • Access to high-quality clinics and specialists
  • Efficient claims processing

The comprehensive health insurance package costs 130,000 AMD annually and is available for individuals up to 70 years old. The package offers comprehensive health care coverage up to 7,000,000 AMD annually. Coverage includes hotline assistance, preventive examinations, in-patient and out-patient treatment, management of chronic diseases, ophthalmological and dental services, as well as pregnancy and childbirth care.

To get more information or to apply for the insurance package, contact  [email protected].

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Specialized Care Centers
Armenia has many care centers specializing in specific areas of medicine:

• The Nork-Marash Medical Center:  specializes in cardiology and heart surgery
• The Armenian-American Wellness Center: specializes in women’s health and cancer screening
• The Vladimir Avagyan Medical Center: specializes in eye care, a popular choice for LASIK surgery

Dental and Medical Tourism
Armenia is a popular destination for dental and medical tourism thanks to its relatively affordable prices and well-trained specialists

• Dental procedures: Services like implants and crowns are often 50% cheaper than in North America or Europe
• Vision correction (Lasik): Clinics like the Vladimir Avagyan Medical Center, the Malayan Ophtalmological Center, and the Nairi Medical Center offer laser vision correction treatment at affordable rates

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Emergency Services and Practical Tips: What information do you need to know in a health emergency in Armenia?

Ambulance services:

• Dial 103 for ambulance services in an emergency; public ambulances are free of charge
• Private ambulance services are offered by ErebuniMed

Pharmacies:

• Many medications are widely available at pharmacies throughout cities in Armenia, though some might require a prescription from a doctor 

Vaccinations:

• Most public (polyclinics) and private clinics will offer all required vaccinations for adults and children, including routine immunizations, flu, and COVID-19 vaccines
• Stay up to date with vaccination requirements, as vaccination standards in Armenia might differ from your home country

Repat tip: Learn which health clinics are closest to where you live - before you get sick! Save their contact information and their hours to save yourself the stress when you feel under the weather.