New health insurance plan excludes 63–64-year-old Armenian pensioners, expert warns

Armenia will introduce a mandatory health insurance system starting from 1 January 2026, a reform hailed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan as “historic”. But health experts say key details remain unclear and some pensioners risk falling through the cracks.

Anush Poghosyan, President of the Right to Health NGO, told Panorama.am on Monday that the government has not yet released the insurance package, making it impossible to assess its true impact.

“We don’t know what services pensioners will receive,” she said. “It’s possible the package will simply repeat what they already get for free – primary care, emergency treatment and life-saving services.”

Poghosyan warned that citizens aged 63 and 64, who currently qualify as pensioners, are left outside the new system. The law covers those aged 65 and over.

“At this stage, there is nothing offered for 63- and 64-year-olds,” she said. “They will only access basic services and limited state-funded care.”

She also questioned government claims that the reform represents a major breakthrough, noting that the same insurance package may be offered to children, high-income employees and older adults despite their different health needs.

Poghosyan expects significant pressure on the health system once the scheme begins.

“We’re likely to see unmanageable queues in hospitals and clinics,” she said, citing a lack of financial safeguards and the introduction of six-month appointment scheduling to control demand.

“This kind of rationing shows that the system may be strained within just a few months,” Poghosyan added.