Health insurance: 16% of Moldovans lack mandatory coverage
More than 84% of Moldovan citizens currently hold compulsory health insurance policies. Being insured ensures free access to a wide range of services, including expensive consultations, tests, and compensated treatments. In contrast, uninsured individuals have access only to a minimal package of services and must cover the full cost of complex medical interventions.
Of the total number of insured persons, a significant portion are employed citizens, the rest being individuals who have purchased their own policies or those insured by the state. The latter category includes children, pensioners, pregnant women, students, and other vulnerable groups.
Health insurance represents “a shield of protection for the person”, which can benefit “starting with the services offered by the ambulance and up to expensive medical services such as computed tomography, nuclear magnetic resonance, various expensive investigations”, said Doina Rotaru, Head of Department at the National Health Insurance Company (CNAM), on the show “Buna Dimineata” on Moldova 1.
“Also, this shield of protection is from a financial point of view. When you have health insurance, you go to the medical institution, to the family doctor, then to those institutions that are indicated by the family doctor and, knowing your rights, knowing that you do not have to pay for these medical services, you do not waste your family’s savings. The package of medical services covered by mandatory health insurance also includes prophylactic medical examinations and periodic check-ups that a healthy person must undergo in order to prevent diseases,” said Doina Rotaru.
According to the specialist, 16 percent of uninsured people are citizens of the Republic of Moldova who have not taken out medical insurance, as well as people who have gone abroad.
"These people, if they need emergency care, also benefit from a small package of medical services that are covered by mandatory health insurance. I am referring to pre-hospital emergency medical care, meaning they can call an ambulance to receive this care. They can go to their family doctor, even if they are uninsured, if they are registered with this family doctor. They also benefit from a consultation with their family doctor and guidance on treatment and diagnostic strategies. In the case of diseases with an impact on public health, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, oncological diseases, the person, if uninsured, can also benefit from medical care both at the level of polyclinics, at specialist doctors, as well as within hospital medical care. For other interventions, for expensive interventions, such as high-performance medical services, uninsured people are forced to pay", explained Doina Rotaru.
By March 2026, about 150,000 people had purchased health insurance, an increase from 2020 - 2022, when about 50,000 - 60,000 people purchased the policy.
To exceed the 84% threshold among insured people, the information campaign "Health insurance – your daily protection" was launched in June and will run until the end of November. The specialist said that the initiative aims to change people's mentality, encouraging them to be more attentive to their own health and to go to the doctor for prevention, not just when pain occurs.
"The campaign is based on the analysis of all the figures we have recorded over the years and is an effort to promote the rights and obligations of people who must have health insurance. We want to increase the level of information of the insured and uninsured population about the package of services they can benefit from, how they will benefit from services covered by the mandatory health insurance premium, what is the procedure for going to the family doctor, registering, receiving that consultation, receiving referrals for various investigations, benefiting from compensated medicines and medical devices when it is a chronic disease, from long-term treatment and expensive investigations throughout the monitoring period of this disease", mentioned Doina Rotaru.
We remind you that people who have not taken out health insurance by March 31 must pay the full cost of the policy, of 12,636 lei. Exceeding this deadline also incurs late fees of 0.1% per day on the premium amount.
