Healthcare System in Russia: everything you need to know

How does the Russian healthcare system work?

Russia has a universal and free health care system for all its citizens. Compulsory Health Insurance is financed by employee taxes and employer contributions. The system has been widely criticized due to outdated facilities and slow service. Although they offer coverage for hospitalization, maternity, vaccinations, general medicine, among others, they fail to cover the health needs of the entire country. In fact, due to the size of the country and the number of inhabitants, there are entire towns that do not have hospital or health care infrastructure.

In general, the major cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg have the best healthcare facilities.

There is also a private system with more modern facilities and reduced waiting times. However, it is estimated that only 5% of the population has private insurance, due to the high cost of such insurance. There are clinics that operate for members of both the public and private systems simultaneously.

How does the system work for foreigners ?

Foreigners living in Russia legally and paying taxes have access to the public health care system. Your employer is responsible for registering with the public health care system and paying 2% to 3% of your income into the social health care tax fund. You can also register yourself directly at a hospital or clinic by presenting your passport, residence permit and evidence of a local address.

However, foreigners wishing to apply for a work visa in Russia must have private health insurance before starting the application process. This way the country ensures that you will not be a burden to its already collapsed health care system.

If you need health insurance to apply for a work visa in Russia, visit InternationalHealth.com where you can compare, quote and contract the best insurance for your application process.

If you are traveling as a tourist, you should consider all the problems that the system has. If you have an emergency and go to a public hospital, it is likely that you will not be able to communicate with the doctors and they will take a long time to treat you. If you are in a large city, look for the nearest private clinic. You will have to pay for the services you use, but it is the best chance you have of getting good medical care. 

What do I do if I have an emergency in Russia?

Emergency services in Russia are handled on a regional level, or by city in public emergency hospitals. Like all other European countries, the emergency line for ambulance, fire and police is 112.

When calling the emergency services, the dispatcher will most likely speak only Russian. If you are not fluent in Russian, ask a friend or a Russian-speaking person to make the call so that you can give them the details of the situation.

Public emergency services, although free of charge, are characterized by delays, with waiting times ranging from 30 to 90 minutes for an ambulance or firefighter. This is due to the lack of personnel, traffic and the long distances they must travel.

In Moscow, emergency services have specific numbers, these are:

Police: 02

Firefighters: 01

Ambulance: 03

How do pharmacies operate in Russia?

If you need a prescription drug, the recommendation is to travel with it to Russia, as it might be difficult to get it there. However, most of the good hotels in the country have their own pharmacies where you can get most of the drugs that are sold in other developed countries in the West.

There are a lot of pharmacies in Russia, which you can recognize by the word Apteka (аптека) written on the outside. In them you will find many generic drugs as alternatives to traditional medicines. These are usually much cheaper and have the same characteristics, therefore they can be a very good alternative.

Unlike other countries, pharmacies in Russia are only for the sale of medicines, they do not sell food or other non-health products. Another difference is that the attending pharmacist is not always a trained professional. Therefore, it is not ideal that you listen to the recommendations of this person, if you need a medical opinion, visit a doctor who can prescribe a medicine for your ailment. 

Entry requirements

Due to an increase in infections, it is mandatory to present a negative Covid-19 PCR test to enter Russia taken no more than 48 hours before the flight.

Currently, due to the conflict with Ukraine, there is a precautionary warning for those wishing to travel to Russia, as illegal detentions and much violence have been reported throughout the country.