Starting in January 2027, residents of Kazakhstan will no longer need to have insured status in the mandatory social health insurance (OSMS) system to receive basic care during their first visit to a polyclinic. The corresponding draft order from the Ministry of Health has been posted on the open regulatory legal acts portal, according to infohub.kz.
According to the document, uninsured patients will be able to undergo complete blood and urine tests, electrocardiography (ECG), fluorography, and ultrasound examination of the kidneys.
"Thus, to receive the basic care provided for in the list during initial treatment, insured status will not be required," the rationale for the draft states.
The main goal of the innovations is to eliminate confusion in polyclinics. Today, patients often get lost about where guaranteed free medical care ends and the OSMS package begins. To avoid double standards, the Ministry of Health is introducing uniform and clear rules: basic care during the first visit should be available to everyone without exception.
The procedure for communication between polyclinics and patients will also change. Citizens will be called by special automated programs connected to medical databases. This will relieve the burden on reception staff and allow people to be informed more quickly about upcoming appointments, screenings, or test results.
Discussion of the draft order from the Ministry of Health will continue until October 23 of this year. If no objections are received, the new norms will take effect in 2027.
Earlier, it became known that the republic plans to change the approach to evaluating the work of domestic polyclinics. Primary health care (PHC) organizations will be assessed on a 100-point scale. Inspections will become quarterly and automatic—based on data from medical information systems.