Saturday, December 22 2012 16:59

Most of Yerevan residents can afford health insurance but are not ready to pay for it

ArmInfo. Most of the Yerevan residents can afford health insurance but are not ready to pay for it, says a survey conducted by M-Info marketing company among 500 people living in Yerevan, including civil servants.

96.6% of the respondents said that they would not spend part of their earnings on compulsory health insurance even though most of them earn more than the average monthly wage in the country. Only 16 of them (3.2%) are ready to insure their health, but only if they pay no more than 10,000 AMD a month.

The survey has shown that the Yerevan residents are quite indifferent to the Government's efforts to introduce compulsory health insurance (CHI) in the country. Only 75 respondents (15%) had health insurance policies, with more than half of them having applied for it not on their own will but on demand of their employers or when going abroad. Some of them were just employees of insurance companies.

Over 80% of the respondents said that they were aware of CHI though giving either very general and common or quite controversial definitions. Almost of them said that CHI was "health insurance." 18 respondents said it was "just a formality and something unnecessary." 15 called it "a health care program." 6 confused it with the social package for civil servants. 1 respondent said that CHI was a formality introduced solely for meeting the European requirements.

The survey has revealed the most popular insurance companies in Yerevan. The companies named by the respondents are mostly the leaders of the insurance market. Rosgosstrakh Armenia was known by 56.6% of the respondents, INGO Armenia by 47%, Garant Insurance by 45.6%, RESO by 41.8%, Nairi Insurance by 40.6%. 8% remembered Sil Insurance - even though that company does not insure health. 19% gave the names of no longer operative companies. 10% failed to remember any name at all.

19.1% of the respondents said that they trusted Rosgosstrakh Armenia, 9.5% Garant Insurance, with the latter respected mostly for high quality, good doctors and optimal prices. INGO Armenia has exactly as many supporters as Garant Insurance. 35 respondents trust RESO, 32 Nairi Insurance (due to its high experience and competent doctors). Almost 1/3 of the respondents were not sure who they trusted the most. 12.6% trusted nobody, with only 2 respondents trusting RASCO and Sil Insurance.

The survey has also revealed the most effective sources of information about health insurance. Almost 1/3 of the respondents learned about the service from their friends or relatives, as many from the internet, radio or TV. Outdoor ads were a source for as 16.8%. 15% of the respondents were aware of health insurance because their health had been insured before. As many as 14.8% were completely unaware of the service.

When asked what they would like to add to the standard package of health insurance, more than half named dental services. 47% would like to see there diagnostic services. Over 1/3 would like the package to contain insurance against cardiovascular diseases. Almost 1/4 of the respondents voted for therapeutic services, 14% for gynecological services, 4% for dermatological ones.

When asked if the price of the health insurance policy was equivalent to the quality of the services it implied, 4 of those having the policy said that the quality was higher than the price. 7 respondents believe that the policy is a bit expensive. 5 people said it was very expensive. 43 respondents said the price and the quality were equivalent.

M-Info is a consulting company specializing in marketing research and market analysis as well as in preparing and providing business information and reference data on specific companies in Armenia. Among the founders of the company is ArmInfo News Agency.

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