OREANDA-NEWS. June 22, 2011. The Federal Antimonopoly Law (FAS Russia) found that the Government of the Amur region violated Part 1 Article 15 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”, and the Ministry of Health Care and Amur Regional Fund of Mandatory Medical Insurance violated Article 16 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”.

The case was initiated upon complaints from residents of Tynda and “Departmental Hospital at Tynda Station” Private Health Care Institution” of “Russian Railways” OJSC about actions of the authorities in the Amur region that distributed medical care between private and municipal medical institutions in Tynda as part of the regional programme of government guarantees for free medical assistance to the population of the Amur region in 2011 using the funds of mandatory medical insurance.

In course of the investigation, the FAS Russia’s Commission established that the authorities approved the volumes of medical assistance in Tynda without accounting the number of applications for registering with the Hospital for medical services.

The Commission concluded that non-proportional distribution of medical care by the Ministry and the Fund between private and municipal medical institutions and their approval by the Government of the Amur region restricted provision of services by the Hospital to citizens within the system of mandatory medical insurance.

“FAS Russia repeatedly drew attention to ensure equal access conditions for participation of medical institutions of various forms of ownership within the system of mandatory medical insurance. Unfortunately, no all constituent territories of the Russian Federation comply with these conditions, which restricts the right of citizens to choose a medical institution”, pointed out the Head of the FAS Russia’s Department for Control over the Authorities, Vladimir Mishelovin.