Minister of Education and Science Dmitry Shashkin held a briefing

The issuance of insurance vouchers has begun in public schools and educational institutions. The insurance of public school teachers, administrative-technical staff, and educators of other institutions will be provided by an insurance company of their choice. 

With the received insurance voucher, every education worker is given the opportunity to get insured in an insurance company acceptable to them and, if necessary, benefit from free medical services, including:

    * Family doctor's 100% free service, unlimited;

    * Scheduled surgical operation 100% free service within the limit of 12 thousand GEL;

    * Emergency hospitalization 100% service, unlimited;

    * Outpatient service 100% unlimited;

    * Chemotherapy and other radiation therapy services 100% service within the limit of 12 thousand GEL;

    * Childbirth-related expenses 100% service within the limit of 400 GEL.

Public school teachers, administrative-technical staff, and educators of other institutions, upon receiving the insurance voucher, will select their preferred insurance organization from December 15 to December 31, 2009. 

 Voucher holders are free in their choice during the process of selecting an insurance organization. Any form of intervention or influence on the process of making a free choice by the beneficiary on the part of institution administrations and other state officials is unacceptable.

 “I urge every educator, under conditions of healthy competition, to choose the insurance company of their choice themselves. The Ministry, using its resources, will endeavor to prevent the creation of artificial levers by insurance companies, and we will do our utmost to protect the rights of teachers,” stated the Minister.

Within the framework of the six-year insurance program, nearly 19 million GEL is allocated in the 2010 budget for up to 83 thousand beneficiaries (in the amount of 15 GEL per month for each educator).

The renewed medical insurance process is being carried out in accordance with Government Decree No. 256.