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.
Data from analytics firm Eqiva showed medical services rose by an average of 11.94% nationwide between January 2025 and January 2026.
Analysts cited higher costs for equipment and medical supplies, a shortage of personnel, wage increases and tax changes as the main drivers.
The rise in doctors’ fees has fed through to the corporate DMS market, where insurers reported a 21.6% increase in payouts to 230 billion rubles ($2.81 billion), alongside a 23.7% rise in the number of claims.
Demand for DMS has also grown, but insurers say medical inflation, estimated at 12%-15% in 2025, remains the primary factor pushing up costs.
According to the Central Bank, the corporate DMS market expanded by 14.2% last year to 258.3 billion rubles ($3.15 billion).
But while the average cost of insuring one employee jumped 34% to 9,400 rubles ($115), the total number of employees covered rose by just 0.9%.
Premiums for clients increased by between 8% and 13%, depending on the structure and coverage of specific policies, Yulia Galanicheva, managing director at Renaissance Insurance, told Kommersant.
Increased utilization, including preventive check-ups, has also contributed to rising costs, insurers said.
Companies expect further increases in 2026, with DMS program costs projected to rise by 13%-15% as medical inflation persists.
Separately, the pro-Kremlin daily Izvestia reported a sharp rise in dental fees in major cities since mid-2025.
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.
Significant increases were also recorded in Novosibirsk (up 37.6%), Ufa (22%), Naberezhnye Chelny (27.6%) and Omsk (16.4%). Of 35 large Russian cities surveyed, 27 saw notable price increases, the study found.
Read this story in Russian at The Moscow Times' Russian service.
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