Doctors protest outside Armenian parliament over health insurance system

Healthcare professionals in Armenia gathered outside the parliament building on Monday, calling for changes to the country’s mandatory health insurance system. They argue that the current model places an unfair burden on medical workers and fails to ensure social justice.

Among the protesters was Gevorg Grigoryan, a physician and healthcare organizer, who said the existing payment structure undervalues medical professionals and undermines the effectiveness of the reform.

The demonstrators planned to submit letters to the speaker of parliament and all parliamentary factions, urging them to hold formal hearings to address significant gaps and risks in the insurance system.

“Our demand is to revise the payment procedure, recalculate the minimum remuneration threshold for healthcare workers and ensure that the insurance system operates effectively,” Grigoryan told reporters. “That, in turn, will help resolve many of the issues facing the residents of our country.”

Grigoryan emphasized that responsibility for addressing systemic shortcomings should lie with the state, not with healthcare workers.

“One segment of society should not be made to suffer for the benefit of another,” he said. “We talk about social justice, but it appears that healthcare workers are being left out of that principle.”

He criticized the compensation rates set by officials, saying those decisions were made by people who do not directly engage with patients or fully understand the demands of medical work.

“Those who determined such low payments are not the ones communicating with patients, saving lives, or witnessing the immense effort doctors put in every day,” Grigoryan said. “The concerns raised by healthcare workers are justified.”