Deadline until October 1: how federal beneficiaries in Nizhny Novgorod can choose free medications instead of payments

      The choice between money and medications can be made annually by submitting an application to the Social Fund of Russia. Residents of the Nizhny Novgorod region who are entitled to federal social support have been reminded of the financial benefits of receiving prescribed medications. As reported by the press service of the governor and the regional government, the regional Ministry of Health urges beneficiaries not to refuse the set of social services (SSS) in kind for the sake of monetary compensation. The list of federal beneficiaries includes people with disabilities of all groups (including children), veterans of the Great Patriotic War and combat operations, participants in the special military operation, residents of besieged Leningrad, besieged Sevastopol, and Stalingrad, as well as liquidators of the Chernobyl disaster consequences. The state provides them with necessary medications, medical devices, and therapeutic nutrition. If there are medical indications, the support package also includes sanatorium-resort treatment and free transportation to the place of health restoration. The choice between money and medications can be made annually until October 1 by submitting an application to the Social Fund of Russia. The chosen form of provision is fixed for the entire calendar year—from January to December—and it cannot be changed during this period. If the application is not submitted on time, the previous year's option is automatically retained. Natalia Ochekurova, head of the drug supply department of the regional Ministry of Health, emphasizes that monetary compensation often turns out to be a fiction. Prices for modern medications for chronic diseases significantly exceed the amount of the monthly payment. Patients who choose money are forced to spend their personal savings, which becomes a heavy burden on the family budget. Returning to free receipt of medications will only be possible after a year, while health conditions may require emergency therapy as soon as tomorrow. Additional risks are associated with the possible deterioration of well-being: the purchase of suddenly prescribed expensive medications falls entirely on the patient. At the same time, obtaining medications has become easier thanks to digitalization—electronic prescriptions allow picking up medications at state pharmacies using a QR code. A patient of City Polyclinic No. 30 in Nizhny Novgorod, Alexey Kostrov, shares his personal experience: “Doctors diagnosed me with heart disease in 2016. Since then, I have been receiving the necessary medications through the federal benefit once a month. I can't even imagine how I would have to buy them myself, as the monetary compensation would not cover these expenses. Now it has become even more convenient to receive medications thanks to electronic prescriptions. The doctor issues the prescription electronically, and the medications can be picked up at the nearest state pharmacy using a QR code. I am calm about my treatment and know that the necessary medications will always be available.” According to Natalia Ochekurova, important components of the set of social services also include sanatorium-resort treatment and free transportation to and from the place of treatment. “For many people with disabilities, elderly citizens, and patients with chronic diseases, sanatorium-resort treatment is an important part of medical rehabilitation. The possibility of free transportation to and from the place of treatment is equally in demand. These support measures help maintain health while simultaneously reducing the financial burden on individuals,” she noted. “Before making a decision to replace the set of social services with a cash payment, it is necessary to soberly assess one’s own health condition, the need for drug therapy, and possible future expenses. You can contact the Social Fund of Russia with an application to change the form of receiving the set of social services in several ways: by coming in person to the SFR office, through the MFC, or online using the “Gosuslugi” portal,” added Arina Sadulina, head of the SFR office in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Let us remind you that adherence to prescribed drug therapy is a crucial factor in preventing complications of chronic diseases. This is one of the tasks of the national project “Long and Active Life,” which is being implemented in the country by the decision of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.