cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/49358202
The cost of medical services covered by Russia’s corporate voluntary health insurance (DMS) programs rose sharply in 2025, outpacing official inflation as healthcare providers grappled with staff shortages and rising operating costs, according to insurers and industry analysts.
DMS policies provide access to modern medical services in private clinics for a fixed fee. Unlike Russia’s compulsory medical insurance system (OMS), DMS typically offers broader coverage, including specialist consultations, diagnostic testing, dental care and even inpatient treatment.
Prices for treatment at clinics increased by between 10% and 25% last year, depending on the level of the medical facility, Natalya Kharina, head of medical insurance at SberStrakhovanie, told the Kommersant business daily.
That compares with official inflation of 5.59% in 2025, according to state statistics agency Rosstat.
The surge highlights growing strain in the privately funded segment of Russia’s healthcare system, where labor shortages and rising input costs are driving up prices, even as employer-funded coverage expands only marginally.
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In Moscow, the average price of a dental appointment jumped 48% to 1,996 rubles ($24.35), while in St. Petersburg it rose 27% to 1,509 rubles ($18.41), Izvestia cited a study by communications group Progress as saying.
And still it costs many times less than US worst healthcare in the world.
