The updated “Health Insurance Law” was approved last year; from 1st January, it came into force. According to the new law, students must now pay their own health insurance, instead of the Mongolian Government.

The Government is responsible for the health insurance of 1.3 million people; an annual budget figure of MNT 12.1 billion. The monthly insurance premium is MNT 670 (annually MNT 8040) which gives every citizen the right to medication and health services to the value of MNT 1,800,000 annually.

Some tax-payers, however, are in good health and do not need medication; the new law provides the possibility of transfering their health insurance to another family member.

A popular way in which people use health insurance is to obtain indispensable medicine at discounted costs; 7% of the health insurance fund is budgeted for medicine discount. There are currently 576 pharmacies in Mongolia, selling their medicine at a lower price.