GENERAL HEALTH INSURANCE IN TURKEY9
There is universal health insurance in Turkey which covers the whole population and is substantially inclusive in terms of the offered services. This system, which offers a very wide range of services at low costs, contains significant financial sustainability risks. In Turkey, as globally, the burden of non-communicable and chronic diseases is increasing. With increasing life expectancy and the aging of the population, three issues stand out as risk factors.
(i) Chronic diseases
(ii) Obesity rate due to physical inactivity and dietary habits
(iii) Tobacco and tobacco product use
As the number of pre-obese and obese are on the rise in Turkey, the Ministry of Health has adequately prioritized physical activity and started certain initiatives. Similarly, with significant changes in the legislation, the fight to reduce active and passive tobacco consumption was actively pursued.
Young (ages 0-14) and Old (age 65 and above) Population Ratios (%)8
The rapidly aging population is another important factor both for healthcare and the finance of healthcare. Turkey is one of the fastest aging countries in the world. When the ratio of the elderly population (age 65 and above) is over 7%, the country is classified as “old” and as “very old” when the ratio is above 10%. Per 2019 TURKSTAT (TÜİK) data, the percentage of the population above the age 65 reached 9.1% and Turkey is expected to be in the league of “very old” countries by the year 2023.
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