Private Medical Insurance for Expats Living in Russia

Health care, for all residents in Russia, operates on an equal basis, but standards are highly variable among private and foreign-owned hospitals with Leningrad and Moscow being in a different league to most other cities in rural parts.

Russia’s alcohol consumption issues

Russia has the highest alcohol consumption in the world and this addiction is the cause of their death toll rising each year for young individuals. The average consumption per head, for the general population, is more than twice the recommended amount for adults in the UK.

Another common habit in Russia is the smoking of tobacco, with most young and middle aged men and about 4 out of 10 women smoking. This leads to around 400,000 early deaths each year.

The spread of aids and HIV has resulted in an increasing in the number of deaths due to needle sharing amongst users and this has caused President Vladimir Putin to begin to address the health of the Russian people.

Critics of Britain’s National Health Service, during the 1990s, were known to condemn it as being monolithic, but the Russian system as it stood, was unsuited to modern medicine techniques and was unresponsive to patients.

British Expats Provision

A mutual healthcare agreement now exists between the UK and Russia, which allows British nationals free treatment within a Russian hospital, similar to how the European Health Insurance Card works across the EU.

However, the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office states that treatment will more than likely be limited and according to insurer such as Axa PPP International, private medical insurance with emergency evacuation cover for any expats outside the large cities in Russia, is very important to have.  There are a limited number of good facilities outside of Moscow and Leningrad and any expats who are employed in the east of the country or who work in the oil and gas industries, will likely be evacuated to Japan and China in emergencies.

Medical costs

In 2009, BUPA International entered into the Russian market and the medical director of the company has previously mentioned that they have had a number of their members treated in Russia and that within Moscow, they have found the clinical services to be good, but in other areas, they have had difficulties with the levels of services offered as well as language difficulties and difficulties over costs.

Research has found that institutions within Moscow are 20-30% more expensive than their western counterparts. One medical tradition that appears to be embedded in Russia is the practice of carrying out wide ranging tests on patients. Russia is viewed as being a strong emerging market for investors, although it is a hard market to penetrate commercially.

Typical Insurance premiums

At least three companies amongst the respected UK-based insurers would provide comprehensive cover for Russia for under £1,000 a year. This is for people in the age group around 25 years old.

The insurance company Aviva International, has continued to offer reduced out-patient cover and IMG Global Select Standard’s premium also qualifies for a starter discount.  Interglobal Ultra Comprehensive is the third provider whose cover is also around the same level.

The chairman of the Association of Medical Insurance Intermediaries has stated that Insurance providers who have previously offered low premiums, now have a tendency to increase them and this may affect policyholders who suddenly develop a chronic condition that their current provider may not cover.

Health risks in Russia

One well known health hazard in Russia is tuberculosis, which can be a problem for those living in crowded and damp buildings. Other health risks occurring are food poisoning, rabies and tick-borne encephalitis. Unfortunately in Moscow, cases of rabies have been increasing, as have tick-borne encephalitis which thrive in rural and wooded areas during the summer months in Russia and symptoms such as major headaches, neck pains and seizures may arise, along with other types of health risks. It is also highly recommended that Expats do not drink tap water in Russia, as it can cause damage to your health. If in any doubt you should seek advice locally. It is also important to note that the occurrence of HIV and Aids in Russia is around five times the rate it is in the UK, and about 1% of Russia’s adult population is infected.

Terrorism in Russia

The government advises visitors and expats to be alert to the risks of terrorism, particularly while being in and around previous target areas, such as metros and airports. The risk of terrorism can easily rise in relation to escalation of violence occurred in the North Caucasus.