Migrants from Kyrgyzstan may lose their free medical service in Russia

Russian Ministry of Health has proposed to deprive  families of migrant workers from the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), as well as migrants working not under employment contracts of the right to free treatment, the Russian media reported.

Earlier, on December 29, 2016, it was reported with reference to the Kyrgyz Embassy in Russia that since January 1, 2017 working in the Russian nationals of the EEU, including Kyrgyzstan, have access to the compulsory health insurance.

According to the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Russian Federation, the EEU treaty stipulates that social security, with the exception of retirement, of migrant workers of the Union and their family members is provided on an equal terms with citizens of the employment country. This includes compulsory health insurance.

It was noted that earlier migrant workers from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were unable to become a party to the Compulsory Health Insurance program in Russia.

Now, a letter of the deputy head of the Ministry of Health Dmitry Kostennikov, sent to the Russian Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance and other departments, proposed changes.

"The Ministry of Health explains the initiative by high cost of the compulsory health insurance, as large numbers of migrants come from these countries," statement said.

The Ministry of Labor has already considered the proposal of the Ministry of Health.

The department is not against, but the deputy head of the Ministry of Labor Aleksey Cherkasov suggested leaving compulsory health insurance for labor migrants from the EEU countries, working not on labor, but on civil contract. Contracts differ in that under civil law, an employee receives salary not twice a month, but only for the amount of work performed. Contributions to the Russian compulsory health insurance system are also being paid from the salaries of these migrants.