Golden treatment: Russians began to spend twice as much on medical services
The cost of paid medical services has more than doubled from 2020 to 2026, analysts said. People have become more attentive to their health, but due to the rapid rise in prices, many patients postpone visits to doctors for chronic diseases and save on preventive examinations. Dental services, primary doctor's appointments, laboratory diagnostics and inpatient care have risen the most. How this will affect the availability of medical care is described in the Izvestia article.
Which medical services have become more expensive
By the end of 2026, the annual cost of medical services may exceed 14 thousand rubles per person, according to a study by the National Rating Agency, reviewed by Izvestia. In 2025, the average per capita cost of commercial medicine was 13 thousand rubles.
For comparison, in 2020, Russians paid half as much for doctors and examinations - about 5,900 rubles per person per year. Experts noted that the growth of the medical services market outside the compulsory health insurance system is accompanied by an increase in the cost of almost all major types of care. Most notably, prices for dentistry have doubled, as well as for the initial appointment of a specialist (+120%), laboratory diagnostics and inpatient care (+50%).
"The most expensive services are those that are characterized by a high proportion of the cost of skilled labor, expensive equipment and consumables," the study says. With rising prices, analysts say, the availability of private medicine for patients will decrease markedly, and the focus of demand will shift towards compulsory medical insurance, given the expansion of funding for free medical care and improving the quality of services.
The increase in prices is outpacing the growth in incomes of citizens, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for patients to pay for a full cycle of treatment, Victoria Galitskaya, head of the LCA department at the Twenty-first Century insurance company, admitted.
"Laboratory tests, dental services, outpatient appointments and diagnostic tests have significantly increased in price," she told the editorial board. — At the same time, health is now at the top of many personal priorities. There is even a special trend: people take vacations to undergo a full examination at the clinic, they want to know as much as possible about the state of the body and to insure themselves in advance.
Many people began to see doctors more often, not only when symptoms appeared, but also for prevention, including for the purpose of early diagnosis of diseases, agreed Gulnara Orlova, cardiologist, director of insurance products and customer Experience Development at Rosgosstrakh Life.
"Patients do not exclusively choose public or private medicine, rather, a mixed model is being formed, in which compulsory medical insurance remains the basis for receiving medical care, and commercial clinics complement it," she believes. — Private institutions are attracted by the opportunity to quickly make an appointment with a specialist and undergo several examinations in one place and at a convenient time. In addition, there are more patients with chronic diseases who need regular checkups, laboratory diagnostics and timely treatment adjustments.
According to Orlova, prices for gastroscopy, therapeutic massage, ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity, a general blood test and a patient's stay in a 24-hour hospital have increased significantly this year.
In 2026, Russians became 10% more likely than last year to seek medical treatment under VHI programs, Anastasia Skurikhina, director of the Ingosstrakh Medical Insurance department, told Izvestia. However, employers are not always ready to increase their budgets for health insurance and are forced to abandon costly elements, such as connecting relatives of employees to a corporate policy.
— For companies to completely abandon the program means to reduce the attractiveness of the social package, — Anastasia Skurikhina explained. — Therefore, even in a difficult economic situation, employers, as a rule, try to maintain health insurance, although they may reconsider its content.
Victoria Galitskaya confirmed that many employers, in order to maintain VMI, choose more budget-funded clinics, and expensive areas, in particular dentistry and high-tech medical care, are being excluded from insurance coverage. And some organizations are withdrawing from the program altogether.
Why do they postpone treatment?
Consultations of specialized specialists — neurologists, endocrinologists, cardiologists, gynecologists and dentists, as well as check-up packages - are becoming more expensive at a double-digit rate, Alexander Kanevsky, CEO of the Euroonco and Uniclinic group of companies, told Izvestia.
"For example, the initial dental examination in 2020-2024 in Russia increased in price by 65%, and certain items, such as prosthetics, fillings, and removal with anesthesia, increased by another tens of percent," he noted. — Dentistry is one of the most expensive areas because it uses imported materials, such as cutters and implants, expensive equipment for chairs and offices, and there is strong competition for qualified doctors.
According to surveys, about a third of patients in private clinics postpone a visit to a doctor due to the high cost of consultations, many reduce the amount of paid procedures, switch to the compulsory medical insurance system or self-medicate, said Alexander Kanevsky.
Larisa Tkachenko, Be Healthy's Chief Operating Officer, noted that the average cost of medical services in their network of clinics increased by 9-11% in the first nine months of 2026 compared to the same period last year. She said that prices are simultaneously affected by many circumstances: inflation, rising prices for supplies and equipment, rental costs, maintenance of premises, as well as requirements for the quality and safety of medical care.
"A significant factor is the cost of skilled labor," the expert told Izvestia. — There is a significant shortage of medical personnel in the market. According to the Ministry of Health, in 2025, the system lacked about 23.3 thousand doctors and 63.6 thousand employees of the average medical staff. This supports the trend of a "salary race" among the main players in the private and public healthcare market.
An increase in the cost of paid medicine leads to a reduction in its availability, Gulnara Orlova said.
— Patients are reviewing their budget, less often turning to highly specialized doctors. Saving on health can lead to a later detection of a serious illness. A person will come to the doctor when the symptoms become pronounced and more complex and expensive treatment is required," she said.
Olga Smirnova, head of the legal department of the Clear Morning Service, which supports cancer patients, told Izvestia that their patients most often apply for paid medical services due to the long waiting times for examinations.
— Patients, as a rule, cannot register due to lack of available places, — she explained. — People are offered to wait, but for many it is critical. There are also egregious situations when equipment breaks down in the clinic or the doctor goes on vacation, and instead of being referred to another medical organization, the patient is offered to delay treatment.
Another reason why patients go to paid medicine is the lack of necessary medicines in hospitals under compulsory medical insurance.
— In private clinics, the issue of obtaining the necessary drugs is solved faster, since they do not depend on budget financing, the conclusion of government contracts and tenders, — said Olga Smirnova.
According to Larisa Tkachenko, there is a trend in Russia towards a decrease in repeat referrals — people began to stop treatment on their own after the first visits, especially if therapy requires several stages and significant costs. Ekaterina Ochakovskaya, the chief physician and founder of the Nashe Vremya clinic, agreed with this. She added that against the background of rising prices, people will delay scheduled appointments for chronic diseases and refuse preventive visits.
— Preventive medicine is in demand now, but patients have become more selective, compare the cost in different clinics, and carefully choose their services. The task of paid medicine is to limit unjustified prescriptions, make therapy more targeted so that the patient can solve his task as effectively as possible," the doctor believes.
Experts agreed that an increase in the cost of medical services will increase the burden on the compulsory health insurance system, which may lead to an increase in waiting times for appointments and examinations. First of all, this will affect routine examinations, consultations of specialized specialists and diagnostic studies, market participants believe.
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