Health Ministry Describes 46% Increase in Medical Tariffs as 'Compensation for Inflation Backlog'

The Deputy Minister of Health of the Islamic Republic has described the 46% increase in medical tariffs approved by the Supreme Insurance Council for the coming year as 'compensation for inflation backlog' and a 'long-standing demand' of this profession. Saeed Karimi stated today, Tuesday, February 6, in an interview with the ISNA news agency that criticism of the tariff increase is a 'biased perspective' and that these critics should understand that low medical tariffs mean 'dipping into the pockets of the people.' According to this health official, medical tariffs have been low in recent years while all costs have increased with rising inflation rates. This government official's claim to fill the gap between inflation and consultation fees and to compensate for its backlog comes while the same government opposes increasing the minimum wages of government employees and workers in line with inflation. On the other hand, while inflation has minimized the share of health and treatment in people's expenditure baskets, and the government has considered a wage increase of less than 20% based on the 2024 budget bill, the Ministry of Health justifies the 46% increase in medical tariffs for the coming year. This increase in medical tariffs and resistance to raising wages occurs at a time when treatment costs in Iran threaten even the middle class. Experts believe that compensating for inflation-related losses through wage increases is a beneficial action, but discrimination cannot be made since medical tariffs are also considered a form of wages, which, because the payment reference is the people and not the government or private sector, is agreed upon. Critics believe that the increase in medical tariffs raises hospital revenues and somewhat covers the government's budgetary needs, and thus, if medical tariffs were to be paid from the treasury, this increase would not be approved. The Kayhan newspaper on January 5 reported that low tariffs lead to 'under-the-table payments' in the healthcare network and wrote that 'the infrastructure and root causes must be addressed; otherwise, dealing with the symptoms will not be very effective.' In this regard, the Tejarat News newspaper reported on October 11 that government officials also acknowledge that the illness of a family member with certain severe diseases can cause the entire family to fall below the poverty line. Protests by nurses in Saqqez and Sanandaj, criticism from families of hemophilia patients regarding the import of expensive medicine and the government's 'game' with their children's lives, patient confusion; the Inspection Organization: cash consultation fees are illegal; the Health Committee of Parliament: only half of the doctors have card readers. Treatment tariffs in Iran; the consultation fee for a 'super-specialist doctor' in the country is three dollars. Protesting nurses in five provinces of Iran demanded the resignation of the 'incompetent minister.' The Nurses' House criticized the Parliament and the government simultaneously with the 100% increase in doctors' bonuses. The Health Insurance Organization: 60% of treatment costs are paid 'out of people's pockets.' A 60% increase in medical tariffs; a member of Parliament: 'Do not take revenge on the people.'