Who funds medical care and rehabilitation for wounded service members — and what the state guarantees
Wounded service members receive medical care in military and civilian healthcare facilities. Is such care provided at no cost? Who funds surgeries, prosthetics, and rehabilitation? Under what conditions is treatment abroad possible, and does the state reimburse costs if medical services were paid for out of pocket?
The Department of Healthcare of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine explains how medical care for wounded service members is funded and what state guarantees are provided by law.
Who covers the costs of medical care for wounded service members?
Free medical care for service members is guaranteed by law and funded from Ukraine’s state budget.
- In Ministry of Defence military medical facilities, treatment is provided under departmental programmes.
- In civilian hospitals contracted by the National Health Service of Ukraine, the state pays providers directly.
Patients should not incur any additional costs.
What types of care are fully covered by the state?
Service members are provided with a full range of medical care free of charge, including:
- surgery and medical treatment;
- all necessary medications and medical consumables;
- prosthetics and technical rehabilitation aids, including high-tech prostheses;
- psychological support and PTSD treatment;
- medical and physical rehabilitation following injuries.
The state, therefore, guarantees full coverage of medical care, prosthetics, medications, psychological support, and rehabilitation for service members of all components of the Defence Forces of Ukraine.
When and under what conditions may service members be referred for treatment abroad?
If the required care cannot be provided in Ukraine, service members may be referred for treatment abroad.
In such cases:
- treatment and rehabilitation are organized in accordance with state procedures (including via Medevac Ukraine);
- the host country bears all expenses;
- for the patient, treatment is provided free of charge.
A dedicated Procedure for referring service members for treatment abroad is in effect, approved by Resolution No. 411 dated 5 April 2022 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
Does access to medical care depend on the circumstances of injury?
- Medical care is provided to service members at no cost, irrespective of injury severity or the circumstances in which it occurred — whether during combat operations or in rear areas.
- The care pathway (hospitalization, rehabilitation, or treatment abroad) is determined solely by clinical indications.
- Financial payments, statuses, and benefits (including one-time financial assistance or combat-injury status) depend on the circumstances and severity of the injury.
- These differences do not affect medical care and relate solely to the system of social guarantees.
What if medical services were paid for out of pocket?
Under current legislation, the state guarantees service members free medical care, but in practice, exceptions may occur. Due to limited funding, service members sometimes have to purchase certain medications themselves or pay for additional procedures.
The medical support system for service members operates on the principle that the state pays providers directly for treatment, rather than compensating patients for incurred costs. Current legislation does not provide for a general mechanism to reimburse the cost of self-funded treatment.
However, exceptions may apply if treatment outside the departmental system was provided under the following circumstances:
- pursuant to an official referral;
- pursuant to a decision of a military authority.
If the required care cannot be provided within the departmental system, service members are referred to facilities that can provide it — for example, the State Institution “Romodanov Neurosurgery Institute” of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine and the M.M. Amosov National Scientific Center for Cardiovascular Surgery and Hereditary Pathology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, among others.
Under current legislation, rehabilitation expenses are subject to financial compensation, including reimbursement for independently purchased rehabilitation aids.