Russian Health Care Changes

(Moscow, Russia) President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a sweeping health care reform law which critics say is the first step toward abolishing free health care in Russia by legalizing paid medical services in government facilities.

Consequently, an element of free enterprise is being incorporated in the Russian health care system, largely prompted by the fact that most funding for health services is already derived from graft and under-the-table payments. So the new law simply codifies what has been common practice.

Ironically, while the United States is seemingly destined - barring any dramatic turnaround - to fully implement a socialized health care system (ObamaCare), Russia is taking steps in abandoning socialized medicine for a free market health care system.