The Need for Supplementary Health Insurance in Iran

Abstract

Global experiences show that it is practically and economically impossible to aggregate all services in the form of public health insurance with the increasing diversity in patient care services, and any institution which receives per capita payments, is able to provide all services. Considering the growing diagnostic costs in our country, it is not practically feasible to use more up-to-date and expensive medical technology and the introduction of new therapies that cover the treatment costs in the form of basic health and state-owned insurances; as a result of the progress of this trend, more and more people will be deprived of appropriate health services on a daily basis; therefore supplemental insurances are used in many countries to cover some services.