Medical care for foreigners

The conditions for providing medical care to foreigners, as well as its payment, also depend on the status of the foreigner:

1. Foreigners permanently residing in the Republic of Belarus (who have received a permanent residence permit and residence permit) have the right to affordable medical care on an equal basis with citizens of the Republic of Belarus:
   • paid and free,
   • emergency and scheduled,
   except for citizens of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine;
2. For foreigners temporarily staying and temporarily residing in the Republic of Belarus, medical care is provided on a paid basis. They have the right to affordable medical care at the expense of:
   • their own funds,
   • funds of legal entities,
   • funds of the sending (inviting) party,
   • other sources not prohibited by the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

For all categories of foreigners, different rules may be established by legislative acts and international treaties of the Republic of Belarus.

Medical care for foreigners is provided by all healthcare organizations in the Republic of Belarus, regardless of their organizational and legal forms.

For foreigners temporarily staying and temporarily residing in the Republic of Belarus, emergency medical care is provided on the basis of an insurance policy at the expense of the insurance company.

If a foreigner does not have an insurance policy, as well as the inability to documentarily confirm his right to receive free emergency medical care in the Republic of Belarus, payment for this care and transportation services related to its provision is made to the healthcare organization that provided such care by the foreigner at his own expense, or in case of refusal to pay, at the expense of the sending (inviting) party in accordance with the price list for medical services provided by the healthcare organization to foreign citizens.

When a foreigner applies to a healthcare organization, including for scheduled medical care that does not require emergency or urgent medical intervention, the staff is obliged to find out whether the foreigner has an insurance policy, and, in the absence of it, payment is made to the healthcare organization for medical care and transportation services related to its provision.

The basis for providing a particular type of scheduled medical care to a foreigner is the presence of a contract concluded between the healthcare organization and the patient. If there is an insurance policy valid in the territory of the Republic of Belarus, payment is made at the expense of the insurance company.

Medical care in inpatient settings is provided on a paid basis if, after receiving a consultation, the patient is referred for planned hospitalization, as well as if, after receiving emergency medical care, the patient agrees to undergo further treatment on a paid basis. Medical care is provided after full payment or partial prepayment in the amount of the estimated cost of treatment, with subsequent reconciliation based on actual expenses.

In such cases, foreigners submit to the department of citizenship and migration of the internal affairs body a contract for the provision of medical services, or documents from healthcare organizations confirming that the foreigner received medical care. A document confirming the possibility of residence at the place of предполагаемого temporary residence will not be provided in this case. Permission for temporary residence is issued at the department of citizenship and migration at the location of the medical institution.

The Republic of Belarus has concluded a number of international treaties that regulate issues related to the provision of emergency medical care, as well as planned medical care.

FEATURES OF PROVIDING MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TO CITIZENS OF CERTAIN STATES

For citizens of the following CIS member states:

• Republic of Armenia,
• Republic of Kazakhstan,
• Kyrgyz Republic,
• Republic of Moldova,
• Republic of Tajikistan,
• Republic of Uzbekistan,
• Ukraine,

regardless of the citizen's legal status in the territory of the Republic of Belarus, medical care is provided as follows:

• Emergency and urgent medical care for sudden acute conditions and diseases that threaten the life of the patient or the health of others, accidents, poisonings, injuries, childbirth, and urgent conditions during pregnancy – unhindered, free of charge, and in full;
• Medical care is provided on a paid basis from the moment the threat to the patient's life or the health of others is eliminated, as well as the provision of planned medical care.
• For those working under an employment contract, planned medical care is provided at the expense of the employer in the manner and scope provided for by the contract, or at the expense of the citizens' personal funds.

(Agreement on the provision of medical care to citizens of the CIS member states dated March 27, 1997, the list of participating countries in the Agreement was updated by the letter of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated July 15, 2014 No. 18-37/14623).

Citizens of Ukraine working under an employment contract (contract) have the right to medical care at the expense of their employers on an equal footing with citizens of the Republic of Belarus (Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of Ukraine on labor activity and social protection of citizens of the Republic of Belarus and Ukraine working outside their states dated July 16, 1996).

Citizens of the Russian Federation have the right:

• permanently residing in Belarus – to receive medical care, including free treatment, in public healthcare institutions of the Republic of Belarus;
• Heroes of the Soviet Union and holders of the Order of Glory of three degrees – to receive medical care, including free treatment, in public healthcare institutions of the Republic of Belarus;
• temporarily staying and temporarily residing in Belarus – to receive emergency medical care and medical care in case of diseases that pose a danger to others during their stay;
• temporarily residing in the Republic of Belarus and working in institutions (organizations) under employment contracts – to receive medical care in public healthcare institutions of the Republic of Belarus.

In the above cases, citizens of the Russian Federation have the right to receive medical care in public healthcare institutions of the Republic of Belarus at the expense of the republican and local budgets of the Republic of Belarus.

In addition, citizens of the Russian Federation have the right to receive medical care in public healthcare institutions of the Republic of Belarus in any other cases at the expense of voluntary health insurance funds, personal funds of citizens and other sources not prohibited by the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

(Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Russian Federation on the procedure for providing medical care to citizens of the Republic of Belarus in healthcare institutions of the Russian Federation and citizens of the Russian Federation in healthcare institutions of the Republic of Belarus dated January 24, 2006, Agreement on the mutual provision of citizens of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation with equal rights in receiving emergency and urgent medical care dated November 24, 1998)

Vietnamese citizens temporarily or permanently staying in the territory of the Republic of Belarus are provided with emergency and urgent medical care in the amount sufficient for the patient to return home without dangerous consequences for their health. Payment for emergency and urgent medical care is carried out in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus. Specialized scheduled medical care is provided by patients on a paid basis at established rates (Agreement between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus and the Ministry of Health of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on cooperation in the field of healthcare and medical science dated April 16, 2002).

Medical care is provided to Syrian citizens staying in the territory of the Republic of Belarus on the basis of health insurance. In cases where Syrian citizens staying in the territory of the Republic of Belarus are not provided with health insurance, all expenses for medical care are paid from the funds of these citizens (Agreement between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus and the Ministry of Health of the Syrian Arab Republic on cooperation in the field of healthcare and medical science dated December 9, 2003).

Citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland who need urgent treatment while staying in the Republic of Belarus receive medical care on the same terms as citizens of the Republic of Belarus. The costs of providing medical care to these citizens, with the exception of expenses that are usually paid by Belarusian citizens, are paid by the competent authorities of the Republic of Belarus (Agreement between the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on cooperation in the field of medical science and healthcare dated February 17, 1975).

Citizens of Turkmenistan in the territory of the Republic of Belarus are provided with emergency and urgent medical care (services) free of charge (Memorandum between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of Turkmenistan on cooperation in the field of healthcare, medical (pharmaceutical) science, education and provision of medical care to citizens of the Republic of Belarus and Turkmenistan dated June 30, 2014).

Lithuanian citizens working in the Republic of Belarus under contracts are provided with medical care on an equal footing with citizens of the Republic of Belarus, but only in case of acute illnesses and accidents (Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on temporary labor activity of citizens dated July 12, 1996).

Citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons who have resided in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, as a rule, for at least a year and who have arrived in the Republic of Belarus to obtain temporary or permanent residence permits, are exempt from paying for medical services provided by state healthcare organizations.:

• related to the issuance of a medical certificate confirming the absence of diseases included in the list of diseases that pose a danger to public health;
• related to the issuance of a medical certificate of health status during mandatory preliminary (upon admission to work) medical examinations;
• when carrying out preventive vaccinations in adults and children;
• during dispensary supervision of pregnant women.

(Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 420 dated 30.08.2014 "On the stay of Ukrainian citizens in the Republic of Belarus").

Foreigners applying for refugee status or additional protection in the Republic of Belarus are provided with:

• free medical examination at their place of residence or temporary residence in the Republic of Belarus;
• provision of free emergency medical care in public health institutions;
• Minors are provided with medical care at their place of residence or temporary residence in the Republic of Belarus on an equal basis with minor citizens of the Republic of Belarus.

Foreigners who have been granted refugee status or additional protection are provided with:

• provision of medical care at their place of residence or temporary residence in the Republic of Belarus on an equal basis with foreigners permanently residing in the Republic of Belarus.

table. The procedure for providing medical care to foreigners.

RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF PATIENTS IN THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

The patient has the right to:

• receive medical care;
• choose a treating physician and healthcare organization;
• participate in the choice of methods of medical care;
• stay in a healthcare organization in conditions meeting sanitary and epidemiological requirements and allowing the realization of the right to safety and protection of personal dignity;
• respectful and humane treatment by healthcare workers;
• receiving information about the state of their own health in an accessible form, the methods of medical care provided, as well as the qualifications of the attending physician and other medical workers directly involved in providing medical care to them;
• choosing the persons to whom information about their health condition can be disclosed;
• refusal of medical care, including medical intervention, except in cases provided for by law;
• relief of pain associated with the disease and (or) medical intervention, by all methods of medical care, taking into account the treatment and diagnostic capabilities of the healthcare organization;
• when receiving medical care in inpatient settings – admission of a clergyman to them, as well as provision of conditions for the performance of religious rites, if it does not violate the internal regulations for patients and sanitary and epidemiological requirements.

The patient is obliged:

• to take care of their own health, to take timely measures to preserve, strengthen and restore it;
• to treat healthcare workers and other patients with respect;
• to follow the recommendations of medical workers necessary to implement the chosen treatment strategy, to cooperate with medical workers in the provision of medical care;
• to inform medical workers about the presence of diseases that pose a danger to public health, human immunodeficiency virus, and also to take precautions when in contact with other persons;
• to inform medical workers about previously identified medical contraindications to the use of medicines, hereditary and past diseases, about seeking medical help, as well as about changes in health status;
• to comply with the internal regulations for patients, to treat the property of the healthcare organization with care.

Foreigners, in respect of whom there are sufficient grounds to believe that they have diseases that pose a danger to public health, human immunodeficiency virus, according to the conclusion of the medical advisory commission of a state healthcare organization and with the approval of the prosecutor, may be subjected to compulsory medical examination in state healthcare organizations.

Foreigners with diseases that pose a danger to public health, human immunodeficiency virus, and who refuse treatment, may be deported from the Republic of Belarus.

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More detailed information about the provision of medical care is available on the website of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus: http://minzdrav.gov.by/ru/static/international_cooperation/med_care_foreigners.