In order to obtain a green card through the General Health Insurance system, one must prove his/her income is less than a total of 279 Turkish liras per month by an income test. It is estimated that a good half of 9 million green card holders will most probably lose their right after the changes.
Switching to the General Health Insurance (GHI) system as of January 1, 2012, Turkey is to change the existing Green Card system as well.
Through the income test to be applied to all of the Social Security Institution (SSI) Green Card holders who are determined to have a monthly income of 279 Turkish liras and above will be excluded from the system.
For calculations in this income test, periodical expenses, movable and immovable assets, bank credit card expenses, rent payments, income from properties, and power, water and phone expenses will be considered.
Those who are proven to have a monthly income more than 279 Turkish liras will lose their green cards and will be included in the General Health Insurance (GHI) system. Beneficiaries of the GHI system will be obliged to pay premiums and will have to pay for all kinds of health services items that were previously rendered without charge in the Green Card System.
According to experts, as a result of the tests to be applied over 9 million 210 thousand people currently holding a Green Card, approximately 5 million people will be transferred to GHI system.
The premiums of those who have an income level less than one third of the minimum salary will be paid by the government and they will continue to receive health services. Those, having an income amounting to between one – third of the minimum salary and the minimum salary per se shall pay a premium of 33 liras; those having an income amounting to two-fold of the minimum salary will pay 100 liras and those having an income of an amount more than two-fold of the minimum salary will have to pay 200 liras to receive health care.
The Green Card holders must apply to the social assistance and solidarity foundations to have the income test within a month as from the date of the visa for their green cards. Having indexed to the minimum salary rates, the premiums will increase as per the increases on the minimum salary. Those, who do not desire to have their incomes tested will pay one-fourth of the minimum salary rate.
GHI aims to take more than 1,5 million people who are not registered in any social security system into the health insurance coverage, without requiring consent, by means of paying their premiums. (NV)
* This article is compiled from Hekim Postası.
(bianet.org, January, 2, 2012)