Health reforms remain the priority programs in the draft state budget for 2019: Ukraine’s government to allocate UAH 92.3 billion for healthcare next year

On September 14, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the draft State Budget for 2019. The transformation of the national healthcare system remained one of the priority financing programs – the Government plans to allocate UAH 92.3 billion for healthcare in 2019, which is 10% more than the previous year.

The funds allocated from the 2019 state budget will be used to further implement the ongoing health reforms and key programs, as follows:

• UAH 2 billion - Free Diagnostic And Screening Tests: in 2019, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine will start implementing a new program – Free Diagnostic And Screening Tests – the most common medical tests and analyses will be provided to patients free of charge and covered by the National Health Service of Ukraine;
• UAH 15.3 billion – the Ministry’s primary care reform activities will continue to gain momentum next year with the biggest budget in history;
• UAH 1 billion – the Affordable Medicines National Prescription Medicine Cost Reimbursement Program, known simply as "Affordable Medicines”, will continue to save lives of Ukrainians with the most common chronic diseases;
• UAH 55.5 billion – the total amount of subvention for the emergency medical services, specialized outpatient and inpatient care will increase by UAH 3.4 billion next year.

The Ukrainian government approved the draft law on the State Budget of Ukraine for 2019 and intended to submit it immediately to the Parliament (the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine) for consideration.