Health Insurance and Medical Care
Health Insurance: how foreign student could get medical care and where policies are issued
Health Insurance: how foreign student could get medical care and where policies are issued
There are 2 types of medical care in Russia:
- state
- private
You can have only emergency medical services free of charge. For any other medical assistance you should have a health insurance policy (in Russia this kind of policy is usually called a DMS policy). You should note that non-state clinics can offer you medical care without a policy but in this case you should pay yourself for your treatment.
Medical care for foreign students
You can have only emergency medical services free of charge. For any other medical assistance you should have a health insurance policy. Travel insurance is not applicable in the case you are studying in Russia, besides travel insurance conditions suppose that medical assistance should be prepaid by the patient and only after returning home insurance company will pay back for medical assistance.
To have medical care during studying in Russia you should get a health insurance policy, and it is better to do it in advance to exclude any risks after arriving to Russia.
Where to buy private medical insurance policy
You can buy a private medical insurance policy in advance, when making an application for studying at Russia.Study, or immediately after arriving in Russia. Starting from year 2016 it’s obligatory for foreign nationals to have a policy to stay in Russia legally. According to Russian laws the policy should be applied for and received at first day of your staying in Russia, not considering the purpose of your visit.
Private medical insurance policy includes ambulatory care and hospitalizing. It’s enough to have a policy, a passport and a student card when applying for free medical help.
Cost of health insurance policy
Cost of health insurance policy depends on scope of services (calling a doctor, ambulatory care, hospitalization, dental solutions). Cost of private medical insurance policy is 7 500 - 20 000 rubles (approximately $100-$280).
Penalty for health insurance absence
From 2016 penalty for health insurance absence for foreigners is 2 000 - 7 000 rubles (approximately $30-$95).