Treat yourself at home! Russians may be denied access to medical care outside their region.

The Ministry of Health plans to introduce amendments that will require patients seeking treatment in another region to first obtain permission from special medical commissions. The amendments are expected to come into effect on September 1, 2025.

Currently, Russian citizens can choose their own medical facilities for treatment, and receive a referral from their attending physician. 

"I don't understand the point of involving medical commissions in this. In this form, it looks like a new form of 'serfdom' and an unnecessary bureaucratic barrier," said the president of the National Agency for Patient Safety and Independent Medical Expertise. Alexey Starchenko in a conversation with Medvestnik.

According to him, this approach conflicts with the patient's right to receive specialized care in a hospital with a higher rating and better reviews.

"Why can't I go to a neighboring region for surgery if I know the surgeons there are better? Maybe if the medical care in a region is so poor that everyone is fleeing, we should improve the situation instead of forcing patients into less-than-perfect clinics?" Starchenko believes.