The costs of the mandatory health insurance funds associated with the purchase of subsidized cardiovascular drugs accounted for the largest share. A sum of 4.4 million lei was allocated for covering these in November, which is more than the average for the first ten months of 2021. At the same time, the costs incurred by patients for partially subsidized medicines for treating chronic heart diseases declined by 57.3%, while the number of commercial names of medicines provided free doubled from 92 to 172. The figures were presented in a news conference, IPN reports.

Ion Dodon, director of the National Health Insurance Company, said the new methodology for calculating the fixed sums covered with money from the mandatory health insurance funds produced results. During the first eleventh months of this year, 712,000 patients benefitted from subsidized drugs, 12,500 of whom in November. That month the costs for released subsidized medicines grew by almost 9 million lei on October, when the old methodology was being used. The figures show the new methodology is efficient and increases the population’s access to drugs.

Secretary of state at the Ministry of Health Zinaida Bezverhni said the new methodology simplified the access to drugs. A 100% subsidization rate based on the average price was introduced. This means that, for example, two of four commercial names will be free of charge. If there are six commercial names, three will be free. Earlier, the patients paid about 100 lei for a pack of Rosuvastatin, which is used to prevent cardiovascular events, but now they pay less than 20 lei. In the case of another commercial name of the same medication, the price decreased from 92 lei to 10 lei.

The new methodology for calculating the fixed sums covered with money from the mandatory health insurance funds took effect on November 1, 2021.

The list of subsidized medicines includes 159 names of drugs.