OREANDA-NEWS. October 31, 2008. The Insurance Company ROSNO has co-arranged a seminar dedicated to the issue of healthcare reform, held in the Higher School of Economics, reported the press-centre of ROSNO.

The discussion focused on the question: "Does the obligatory medical insurance system need insurance companies?" Among the event’s participants were representatives of the government, public, professional, scientific organizations, and the leading medical insurance companies. The seminar was presided by the First Pro-Rector of the Higher School of Economics, Mr. L. Yakobson.

For many years, ROSNO’s experts have participated in the development of approaches to solving various healthcare issues, by sitting in expert commissions, delivering reports at the specialized events dedicated to these issues, including co-arrangement of the permanent seminar on healthcare issues in the Higher School of Economics.

Today, the issue of retaining insurance companies in the OMI system is discussed in Russia at the federal government level. The discussion covers different models proposed for transformation of the existing healthcare system: varying from the previous budgetary form to the general private insurance.

Taking into account the relevance and social importance of this issue, ROSNO invited foreign guests to participate in the discussion. The participants heard the report delivered by Dr. Norbert Klusen, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Techniker Krankenkasse (Hamburg). He told about the experience gained by the private insurance companies during operation in the German obligatory medical insurance system and the role of competition in increasing the quality of medical services rendered to the general public.

Among the persons invited to the seminar were the representatives of the large Russian regional medical insurance companies possessing positive experience in OMI operations. The position of ROSNO Group at this event was presented by Mr. Hannes Chopra, Head of Allianz Eurasia and CEO of ROSNO; Ms. Olga Stepennova, Head of the Allianz Eurasia Medicine, Member of the Board and Deputy CEO of ROSNO, Ms. Larisa Popovich, First Deputy CEO and Executive Director of ROSNO-MS, and Mr. Klimentiy Kelmanson, Advisor to CEO of ROSNO-MS.

Among the roundtable discussion participants were: L. Roshal, Chairman of the Healthcare Commission of the Public Chamber; N. Gerasimenko, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Healthcare Protection Committee; V. Starodubov, Director of TsNII of Healthcare Organization and Computerization; E. Telnova, Deputy Head of Roszdravnadzor; high-ranking officials of the RF Presidential Administration, Accounts Chamber, Ministry of Healthcare, Ministry of Economics, Academy of Medical Sciences, heads of regional healthcare administration bodies and territorial OMI funds, representatives of the World Health Organization and various public associations, heads of the largest insurance companies, scientific and medical institutions, and independent experts.

In conclusion of the discussion, Mr. Hannes Chopra acquainted the participants with the experience accumulated by the Allianz Group in terms of participation in solving the healthcare issues. In his speech Mr. Hannes Chopra noted:

"In the developed market economies, healthcare expenditures account for 6 to 9% of GDP, while in Russia this indicator is currently at 3.5% and continues to fall. And this takes place against the backdrop of steady growth in sickness rate among adults and children, inadequately low numbers of doctors in the outpatient clinics, deterioration of medical equipment, and many other problems. In the last decade, the quantity of patients who have to, and are ready to, pay for medical services grew approximately threefold. Also, there is a stable increase in the share of those who acquire VMI policies in order to be confident in the quality and timeliness of medical services. All these facts show that now is the time for the insurance companies to become active participants in the process of building the new Russian healthcare system. Our access to the worldwide medical insurance technologies and own longstanding experience enable us to find answers to many problem issues. And I am sure that the efficient cooperation between the government and the private business in the healthcare field will make it possible to provide the RF population with reliable and affordable medical services".

Delivering a speech in favor of retaining insurance companies in the social security system, Ms. Larisa Popovich noted:

"Medical insurance companies in the Russian OMI system are unique institutional structures at the same time possessing the experience in organization of public healthcare and expertise in financial management, which makes them indispensable in the structure of the domestic healthcare system. Many insurers have accumulated an extensive statistical and analytical base, arranged sound expert work in medical institutions and built service departments responsible for interaction with patients. We are able and willing to play much more active role in the country’s healthcare reform and become the government’s partner in resolution of the major social issues. And the experience of Germany may serve as a positive example of such interaction".