The RA MoD refuses compensating the surgery expenses of military pensioner
05:50, January 15, 2014 | News, Own news | Prohibition of Discrimination, Right to Life, Rights of Soldiers/Recruits, Social Rights | Armed Forces
Former serviceman Edvard Hakhverdyan had applied to Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly for the protection of his rights. With acute myocardial infarction diagnosis Edvard Hakhverdyan was taken to Yerevan State Medical University after “Mkhitar Heratsi” SNCO in October, 2011, where he underwent a cardiac surgery, coronary stent placement was administered. The surgery cost 1.860.000 AMD.
E. Hakhverdyan was discharged from hospital without paying the surgery costs, since he was a member of a current serviceman’s family and a military pensioner. In the presence of such circumstances, the state is obliged to cover all expenses of the medical institution.
On June 13, 2012 Yerevan State Medical University after “Mkhitar Heratsi” SNCO lodged a claim to the Lori region Court of Common Jurisdiction with a demand to levy 1.860.000 AMD, since the state failed to reimburse the treatment costs of a military pensioner in a defined term.
On June 20, 2012 the court took the claim into proceedings and placed a ban on E. Hakhverdyan’s property and funds.
Despite the fact that after the surgery E. Hakhverdyan repeatedly orally applied to the RA Ministry of Defense with a request to receive compensation, on December 26, 2012 he sent a written application to RA Minister of Defense S. Ohanyan requesting to reimburse the surgery costs.
In response to the application, RA Minister of Defense replied that pursuant to the effective legal acts, the RA AF military-medical department has no such power, hereby, declining the former serviceman’s application.
Through the RA law on “Social security of servicemen and their families” the Republic of Armenia undertook an obligation to ensure quality and free of charge medical care, furthermore, the law fails to anyway distinguish any type of inpatient service for which the spent expenses cannot be reimbursed.
Thus, by prioritizing the decree adopted on 21 of 2010 RA Minister of Defense refused the application requesting to reimburse the surgery expenses.
The aforementioned itself is sufficient to justify that the RA MoD should have covered the surgery expenses. In the meantime, it is noteworthy that 1.900.000 AMD cost of medical services rendered to Hovhannes Katrjyan, who had applied to the Chief of the RA AF military-medical department on July 8, 2008 with similar request, was covered.
It provides grounds to infer that the RA MoD displays selective attitude towards 2 people with the same request.
Taking these circumstances into account Edvard Hakhverdyan’s representative, HCA Vanadzor’s lawyer Arayik Zalyan submitted an application to the RA Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan with a request to abrogate the refusal of the RA AF medical-military department Chief G. Tepelyan and compensate the expenses made by Yerevan State Medical University after “Mkhitar Heratsi” SNCO.
It is noteworthy that this application was sent to the RA MoD one month ago and no reply has yet been received.