Investments of 240 million lei: four strategic republican institutions will be modernized in 2026 from AOAM funds
The projected deficit of over 385 million lei in the mandatory health insurance funds (AOAM) for 2026 will not affect patients, hospitals, or drug suppliers. Ion Dodon, the Director of the National Health Insurance Company (CNAM), assures that the situation is manageable and poses no risk to the healthcare system.
The draft of the AOAM funds for 2026, approved by the Government on December 4, outlines revenues of nearly 18.8 billion lei, while expenses are projected to exceed 19.2 billion lei.
"There is no reason for concern. This deficit will be covered by our reserves, specifically the balances accumulated over the years by the National Health Insurance Company. We have a reserve of over 1.2 billion lei, which will be used to cover this deficit and planned expenses, including infrastructure investments. Therefore, the likelihood of halting payments to medical institutions or drug manufacturers is excluded," stated Ion Dodon during the "Zi de Zi" show on Radio Moldova.
The director of CNAM emphasized that the budget for the upcoming year prioritizes investments in medical infrastructure.
"The most significant change involves investments in the infrastructure of medical institutions. We have allocated 240 million lei for the modernization of four key republican institutions: the Republican Clinical Hospital, the Institute of Emergency Medicine, the Oncology Institute, and the Institute of Cardiology. These institutions provide services to a large portion of the population," said Dodon.
According to the CNAM director, these investments will focus on major repairs, modernization of medical facilities, and upgrading essential equipment.
Another important aspect of the budget is to improve access to compensated medicines and medical devices, with over 1.4 billion lei set aside for this purpose.
"We aim to maintain access to the existing list of medicines and devices, with more than 100 million lei allocated for including additional compensated medicines and medical devices, thereby reducing costs for patients," the CNAM director added.
Emergency services and high-performance investigations
An essential component of the budget is enhancing emergency services.
"The company, in collaboration with medical institutions, hospitals, and other units with emergency rooms, has evaluated the needs for these services for 2026. Our goal is for patients to receive treatment directly in emergency reception units, where feasible, thus reducing overall healthcare system expenses," explained the CNAM head.
Regarding high-performance services, the budget covers investigations such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and similar procedures for oncological patients and other categories.
Insurance premiums remain unchanged
The contribution percentage from salaries and other income will remain at 9% in 2026.
"The fixed-amount premium will stay at 12,636 lei, even though, based on a correct calculation, it would exceed 18,000 lei. Additionally, substantial discounts for citizens who pay the premium by March 31, 2026, will continue. An 85% discount from the fixed premium will apply to all population categories, including agricultural landowners, small entrepreneurs, founders of individual enterprises, and others. An 80% discount will be available for other categories, such as legal professionals or founders of individual medical practices," the CNAM director said.
In total, over 10 billion lei is expected to be collected from medical insurance premiums.
