Government to discuss compulsory social health insurance reform and measures to reduce shadow economy
On Tuesday, October 7, the Government of Kazakhstan will hold its regular meeting, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The agenda includes the issues related to the modernization of compulsory social health insurance and measures to reduce the shadow economy.
On January 1, 2026, new regulations for Kazakhstan's healthcare system will come into effect. The corresponding law, approved by both chambers of the Parliament, has been submitted for signing to the President. The compulsory health insurance reform provides for a clear differentiation of medical service packages, the transfer of cancer screenings to the statutory free medical assistance, and expanding access to planned medical care for uninsured citizens.
According to the Ministry of Healthcare, around 1 million Kazakhstanis will additionally get access to planned medical services. For employees and employers with high incomes, new limits for the contribution calculation base are being introduced - 20 and 40 minimum monthly wages (MMW) respectively.
The reform also provides for a gradual increase in state contribution rates from 2.2% in 2027 to 4.7% by 2037, as well as maintaining insured status for six months for citizens who have paid contributions for at least five consecutive years.
Furthermore, starting in 2026, the list of government agencies submitting data to the compulsory health insurance system will be updated, including information on migrant workers and their families from EAEU countries.
According to the Ministry of Healthcare, these changes will ensure the financial sustainability of the compulsory health insurance system until 2043.
The second issue on the meeting agenda is the reducing the shadow economy. According to the Government, the large-scale digital transformation undertaken in 2021 gave tangible results: central government bodies have implemented a range of digital solutions aimed at increasing the efficiency of public administration, reducing administrative and corruption barriers, and improving the quality of services provided to citizens and businesses.
As a result, over 28 billion tenge was brought out of the shadow economy, and over 13 billion in budgetary funds were saved. The overall impact of the implemented measures amounted to 51.3 billion tenge. Furthermore, the delivery time for public services was reduced 20-fold, and corruption and administrative barriers were significantly lowered.
