YEREVAN, October 10. /ARKA/. Armenian insurance companies have paid 3.5 billion drams for the fist six months of this year as health insurance compensations to public servants, eligible for a number of government-funded benefits, Arman Hovhannisyan, the chief of Sil Insurance Armenian company’s unit in charge of personal insurance applications, told journalists on Thursday.

The social package was introduced in January 2012. Health insurance is one of its components.
“Of the 9 billion drams paid this year, compensations totaled 3.5 billion, but this amount will grow because of the growing number of applicants,” Hovhannisyan said adding that in 2012 compensations totaled 4 billion drams.

He said that in 2012, when the package was introduced, public servants were cautious – they applied only for insuring treatment of chronic problems, while now they are applying also for prophylactic purposes thanks to enhancement of public awareness.

Hovhannisyan said that the introduction of these social packages has resulted in a precipitous growth in insurance sector. The number of people having heath insurance was 30,000 or 32,000 in 2012, while now it is five times greater – 150,000 people, of whom 120,000 -130,000 are public servants.
The expert didn’t rule out that the number may grow in next years thanks to involvement other government agencies in this project.

He said that the insurance packages will be expanded and supplemented with new medical services.
The social package’s medical insurance costs 52,000 drams with insurance payments of 3.8 million drams. Compensation may range from 2.5 million to 8 million drams.

Medical insurance as part of voluntary corporate insurance amounts to 25,000 to 400,000 drams.
Siol Insurance started functioning in Armenia in 2000, and in 2012 it obtained license for insuring lives. ($1 – AMD 406.20). -0----