The proposal is included in a draft decree on increasing health insurance benefits and coverage, with priority given to certain groups based on contribution levels and the financial capacity of the health insurance fund.
Under current regulations, health insurance contributions are generally set at 4.5 per cent of salaries, pensions, unemployment benefits or the base salary, depending on the group covered.
For employees subject to compulsory social insurance, the contribution is currently 4.5 per cent of their monthly salary, with employers paying 3 per cent and employees 1.5 per cent.
Under the draft, the rate for certain groups of employees would rise by 0.6 percentage points to 5.1 per cent from July 1, 2027, with employers paying two-thirds and employees one-third.
For some other groups of employees, the 5.1 per cent rate would take effect from July 1, 2028.
From July 1, 2027, pensioners and people receiving monthly allowances for loss of working capacity would contribute 5.1 per cent of their pensions or allowances.
The same rate would apply to unemployment benefit recipients, calculated on their benefits, while several other groups covered by the social insurance system would contribute 5.1 per cent of the base salary.
For groups whose contributions are partly subsidised by the state and for household or other self-paying participants, the 5.1 per cent rate would take effect from January 1, 2028.
Household members enrolling together would receive discounts, with the second, third and fourth members paying 70, 60 and 50 per cent of the first member's rate, and subsequent members 40 per cent.
Three years after the new rates take effect, the ministry proposes raising contributions by another 0.3 percentage points to 5.4 per cent. Three years later, the rate would rise by a further 0.6 percentage points to 6 per cent.
The ministry said the increases were intended to strengthen the health insurance fund's finances and ensure sufficient resources to cover healthcare costs.
The draft also proposes greater state support for several groups. The state budget would cover the full health insurance contribution for people with mild disabilities from near-poor households.
The minimum state subsidy would be 80 per cent for near-poor households, 70 per cent for students and 50 per cent for average-income households and people cared for by charitable or religious organisations.
Local authorities would be encouraged to provide additional support where budgets allow, prioritising vulnerable groups, students, community security personnel, village health workers, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and older people without health insurance coverage.
Organisations, businesses and individuals would also be encouraged to help cover health insurance contributions and patients' co-payments or medical costs outside the scope of insurance coverage.
