While inflation has minimized the share of health and treatment in people's expenses and the government has considered a salary increase of less than 20% in the 2024 budget bill, the Ministry of Health has requested a 45% increase in medical tariffs for the coming year. According to ISNA news agency, the Deputy Minister of Health criticized the 'inconsistency' of medical tariffs with costs and stated that we are considering an increase of about 45 or 46 percent in medical tariffs for the next year. Saeed Karimi mentioned that last year a 40% increase in tariffs was proposed, of which only 25% was approved, and given the inflation, this year there should be no less than a 40% increase in tariffs. This request comes at a time when health and treatment have become one of the family problems, and due to the decrease in people's purchasing power, the share of health and treatment in the expense basket has minimized and has been completely eliminated for some households. Treatment costs even threaten the middle class, and in this regard, the newspaper 'Tejarat News' reported on October 11, 2023, that government officials also acknowledge that the illness of a family member with certain incurable diseases can lead to the entire family falling below the poverty line. Protests over unpaid professional demands; nurses gathered in several cities in Iran. Ali Khamenei's assistant in military affairs deemed the migration of 'specialist doctors' as 'unacceptable'. Patients are left in limbo; the Inspection Organization states that 'cash consultation fees' are illegal; the Health Commission of Parliament reports that only half of doctors have 'card readers'. Medical tariffs in Iran; the consultation fee for a 'super-specialist doctor' in the country is three dollars. The Nursing House criticized the Parliament and the government simultaneously with a 100% increase in doctors' bonuses. The Health Insurance Organization stated that 60% of treatment costs are paid 'out of pocket' by the people. The increase in the migration of Iran's healthcare staff; the Ministry of Health: we have a shortage of at least 100,000 nurses.
Access to Treatment Becomes More Expensive; Health Ministry Proposes 45% Increase in Medical Tariffs
The Iranian Health Ministry has proposed a 45% increase in medical tariffs amidst rising inflation and declining purchasing power, which has made healthcare increasingly unaffordable for families. This situation highlights the ongoing crisis in Iran's healthcare system, where treatment costs threaten even the middle class.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The Iranian Health Ministry has proposed a 45% increase in medical tariffs for the next year, citing inflation and the need to align tariffs with costs. This proposal comes amid economic challenges that have reduced healthcare affordability for many families.
- The proposed tariff increase is 45%, following a previous year where only 25% of a 40% proposed increase was approved.
- Healthcare costs are increasingly unaffordable, with 60% of treatment costs paid out-of-pocket by citizens.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran's healthcare system is struggling due to economic sanctions, inflation, and reduced government spending, leading to increased out-of-pocket expenses for citizens.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%