Health Insurance

HSE are provided with basic health insurance financed by the university. Please note that the university has year-long contracts with insurance companies, which means that every January employees receive new health insurance policies. 

The insurance is only valid in Russia and covers outpatient care in select  health clinics, home care, emergency and planned hospital admissions, and basic dental care. The insurance covers acute diseases and trauma treatment but does not cover life-threatening diseases, treatment of most chronic illnesses and pregnancy-related care. An ambulance can be called to any location within Russia free of charge. For more information about the services covered and answers to the most common questions, please consult the detailed description below.

 For other questions regarding your health insurance you may contact the HR department manager Anastasiya Kotyashkina (akotyashkina@hse.ru)

Emergency medical assistance

Outside of HSE (on the street, in public places, etc.)

1. Calling a state ambulance
To call for a state ambulance services, you must dial 112 from your mobile phone (emergency calls from mobile phones are free of charge). Please note that 112 is the all-Russian emergency number, a hotline that is available 24/7. It also has English-speaking operators. Furthermore, its specialists can provide professional help and expertise at any time, irrespective of your citizenship and type of insurance policy. Emergency care is provided throughout Russia, in all Russian cities and towns. Usually, an ambulance team arrives within 15-20 minutes depending on your location. All ambulance vehicles have medical equipment, so that the team can provide on-the-spot medical assistance, as well as take you to a medical facility if they are unable to treat your condition locally.
In case of a life-threatening situation, anyone admitted to state and municipal health institutions is entitled to free initial medical care (emergency medical assistance, including specialized assistance) until they are out of immediate danger. After this, if further medical treatment is needed, it shall be provided at a fee. Please make sure that your insurance policy covers such expenses.

2. Insurance policy
We strongly recommend that you keep your insurance policy (or its copy) with you at all times (as an option, you can also take a picture of it, so that it can be easily accessed when needed from your cell phone).
Medical services and assistance to those temporary residing in Russia under travel insurance or voluntary health insurance are provided in accordance with an insurance agreement, depending on the scale of the insurance premium. It is highly advisable to carefully review your insurance contract and terms of its use (usually provided in the form of a brochure attached to your policy), as the scope of services and medical institutions you can turn to may be subject to certain restrictions. As a rule, free medical assistance is provided in certain institutions and under a prior arrangement with an insurance or medical services company. Therefore, keep in mind that reimbursement of expenses that have not been agreed with an insurance company is not guaranteed.

3. Usually, the steps to be taken include:
Contacting your medical insurance operator using the phone number indicated on the insurance policy or the number for state ambulance services (112);
Making sure that you provide your full name, correct address, and contact phone number, as well as describing the situation in detail (e.g., symptoms, conditions, etc.);
If you contact a private medical service company (e.g., GVA), please provide the operator with the name of your medical insurance company and policy number.

4. Informing your coordinator
Since your coordinator is your main contact at HSE, as well as in Russia, it is highly recommend to let him/her know about your situation as soon as possible. The coordinator may either advise you on what to do in this situation, request medical assistance, or tell you how to proceed in order to obtain medical care. This will also allow HSE to think of ways to make up for your absence, if required, as well as spare you from possible problems if you are hospitalized but no one has been informed about it.