market overview
By 2014, growth in Russia is set to be once again lower than in Brazil, South Korea, and Turkey. In order to revive and modernize the economy and reduce its dependence on natural resources, policy makers face two challenges. Firstly, Russia has to manage macroeconomic policies so as to ensure economic stability in the face of domestic and external vulnerabilities. This implies three policy priorities: sticking with prudent spending plans and saving oil revenues that come in over and above budget; focusing monetary policy on low inflation to keep inflationary expectations in check; and strengthening banking supervision and taking additional measures to mitigate emerging risks in consumer lending. Russia has to step up structural reforms in order to lift its growth potential. Reviving growth requires, among other things, reducing the state’s footprint on the economy and improving the investment climate; confronting the challenges of an aging and shrinking population; and strengthening governance through more transparency, better regulations, and more effective control of corruption.
The Russian Healthcare System
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Beautiful view of mountain river in summer,Altai Mountains,Russia
In the Russian Federation, provision for healthcare is one of the primary social functions of the state; covering delivery of medical care, prevention of disease, and improvement of the population’s health.
After the February and October revolutions of 1917, the main feature of Russian healthcare was the creation of a comprehensive state medical treatment and prevention system. Inherited from the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation was faced with a legacy of guarantees for a wide range of social services, including citizens’ right to free medical services. The guarantee of a full range of free healthcare services has not changed with ithe dissolution of the former system, but rather has been confirmed through the new Russian Constitution and the new healthcare financing law. Until the late 1980s, the structure of health services in the Soviet Union was highly centralised. After the dissolution, the healthcare system followed the new decentralised administrative structure of the country and it is now divided into federal, regional (oblast-level) and municipal (rayon-level) administrative levels. 30% of the population receive primary care through work related clinics and hospitals. For certain employment groups such as police, railroad workers, and high-level government officials, special health services exist. At the end of the 20th century, the collapse of the Soviet Union and ensuing radical changes in the country’s social and economic policy engendered healthcare problems and systemic challenges, many of which are yet to be addressed. Starting in 1998, the Russian Federation Government has been implementing an annual program that provides guaranteed free medical care to Russian citizens, funded by the state budget.
National Project “Health” In 2006 a national project named ‘Health’ was launched to improve the country’s healthcare system through improved funding and healthcare infrastructure. This plan helped provide hospitals and clinics
Infodent International 3/2013
July and September 2012 and January 2013 pushed up services inflation. As a result, year-on-year services inflation increased from 3.8 percent in June 2012 to 7.8 percent in January 2013. Finally, there was some uptick in core inflation, which excludes food and gasoline. It increased from 5.1 percent in May 2012 to 5.8 percent in October 2012, and then stabilized at roughly 5.7 percent in recent months.
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