Against the background of increasing availability of free medical care, the volume of paid medical services is growing

According to the analytical resource “Check Index” of the OFD Platform company, in 2023, sales in the paid medicine segment in Russia increased by 34% compared to 2022. The most popular medical services were laboratory tests, consultations with general practitioners and diagnostic tests, such as ultrasound diagnostics. The Ministry of Health emphasizes that free medical care is becoming more accessible: the amount of its financial support in 2023 increased by 9.1% compared to 2022. For patients, the speed of service and comfortable conditions that paid clinics can offer are important, experts note.

The medical company SberZdorovye and the analytical resource Check Index of the OFD Platform company conducted a study of consumer behavior of Russians in the paid medical services market based on the results of 2023. The analysis was based on internal statistics from SberHealth and aggregated anonymized data from the Check Index company on the purchase of services from network and non-network private clinics, as well as from private medical laboratories. The analytical models of the OFD Platform operate on the basis of 110 billion receipts in the company’s BigData system and accumulated expertise over seven years.

According to Check Index, in 2023, sales in the paid medicine segment in Russia increased by 34% compared to 2022. The number of purchases increased by 24%, and the average bill for medical services increased by 10% and amounted to 3,754 rubles. The dentistry sector also showed growth in these indicators: the average bill was RUB 8,252, which is 13% higher than last year; the number of purchases of dental services increased by 14%, and sales by 27%.

The most popular medical services, according to Check Index calculations, were laboratory tests, consultations with general practitioners and diagnostic tests (ultrasound diagnostics and others). The top purchases in the dental field included fillings, anesthesia, dental photographs, and maintenance of braces.

A significant share in the structure of the total demand for paid medical services was occupied by online medical services. Thus, the number of telemedicine consultations in 2023 within the SberHealth service increased by 68% compared to 2022. Among the reasons for this increase in demand for telemed services, the study authors highlight their financial attractiveness and indicate that about 60% of medical problems can be solved through online consultations with doctors.

It should be noted that in February, Medvestnik, citing preliminary data from Rosstat, reported that Russians spent 1.36 trillion rubles on paid medical services in 2023. The total volume of services provided increased in monetary terms by 11%, from RUB 1.22 trillion. in 2022. Development director of the analytical company RNC Pharma, pharmaceutical market analyst Nikolai Bespalov believes in this regard that there is certainly an increase in the volume of paid services, but the sample used by Check Index, in his opinion, is irrelevant to the general situation. “Most likely, it can only be used to judge individual areas of assistance provided,” the expert concludes.

Co-chairman of the All-Russian Patients’ Union (VSP) Yuri Zhulev is confident that patients’ interest in private medicine largely depends on the volume, accessibility and quality of medical care that can be received under compulsory medical insurance. “When free help is not enough for some reason, people go to the commercial sector. For example, dentistry is poorly integrated into the system of state guarantees, and therefore is commercialized. Today, the speed of provision of medical services and comfort in receiving them are of great importance to patients. This is often a problem in free clinics, so people prefer to take tests, perform hardware diagnostics and other studies in a paid clinic, where both the service itself and its results can be obtained faster,” comments Mr. Zhulev.

Director of the Institute of Health Economics at the National Research University Higher School of Economics Larisa Popovich explains the growth of the paid medical services sector by a change of generations: young people, she notes, care more about their health and are ready to invest money in it. At the same time, Ms. Popovich emphasizes, “sooner or later” they will still come to the state system for treatment: “If these young people now take care of themselves, then in general there will be an improvement in society, which is a good thing in itself.”

Yuri Zhulev adds that telemedicine “gives a new level of service.” VSP surveys show that this is a popular option. “The ability to see a doctor by phone or video is a big step forward, which is now available in private clinics. We hope that soon consultations in the “doctor-patient” format will be included in the system of state guarantees,” says Mr. Zhulev.

The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, in turn, announced an increase in the availability of free medical care for citizens within the framework of compulsory health insurance, including by increasing the volume of compulsory medical insurance funds allocated for the financial support of state guarantees of free provision of medical care to citizens, as well as the preventive focus of this medical care. The department noted that, according to preliminary data from the Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund, the amount of financial support for medical care provided using compulsory health insurance funds in 2023 amounted to 2,795,481.4 million rubles, which is an increase of 233,533.8 million rubles . more than in 2022. “Thus, the amount of financial support for free medical care in 2023 increased by 9.1% compared to 2022,” the ministry emphasized. The volume of emergency medical care in 2023 amounted to 35.5 million calls (0.244 calls per insured person), this is 1.7 million calls less than in 2022 (37.2 million calls), which is due to an increase in the quality of preventive measures, including clinical and dynamic observation, the Ministry of Health is confident. The volume of visits for preventive and other purposes in 2023 amounted to 476.3 million visits, which is 12.8 million visits more than in 2022 (463.5 million visits).

Natalia Kostarnova