Healthcare, record budget of 82 billion lekë - More access, reimbursement and investments
Health takes the main weight in the 2026 draft budget with 82 billion lek, about 2 billion lek more than a year ago. The funds cover the entire service chain, from primary care to hospital care, with a policy axis that aims to increase the cost-effectiveness of the list of reimbursable drugs and equipment, so that every lek is converted into a health outcome for the patient. The budget payment for the check-up contract is reduced in 2026 and discontinued after this year, freeing up space for essential services.
The budget of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is divided into separate items: Social Care takes 27.75 billion lek, while the Rehabilitation of Politically Persecuted 1.55 billion lek. Health alone is 52.68 billion lek, while 530 million lek belong to administrative expenses.
The drug reimbursement fund in the 2026 draft budget is planned with a ceiling of 13.5 billion lek. In the three-year period 2026–2028, universal coverage and an increase in the volume of service use are targeted. For 2026, 379 thousand check-ups and about 400 thousand patients with a reimbursement prescription are projected; the diabetes policy keeps the measurement cards funded, with a target of 59 thousand beneficiaries by 2028. In specialized services, the cardiac surgery/cardiology package is gradually increasing, while dialysis goes from 217 thousand sessions in 2026 to 223 thousand in 2028; Down Syndrome tests are projected for an average of 1,250 patients/year with 6.05 million lek/year, while fertility is funded with 37.5 million lek/year for about 200 couples.
Two interventions are included in the financing for the first time: breast reconstruction for about 350 women/year 70 million lek/year and corneal transplant for 50 cases/year with 25 million lek/year. In prevention, breast cancer screening covers 5,000 women/year, while for cervical cancer 12,500 women/year with 28 million lek/year; seasonal flu vaccination targets about 300,000 people each year with 171 million lek/year.
Overall, the 2026 package prioritizes access, prevention, more cost-effective reimbursable medicines and investments that bring the service closer to the patient. For hospital infrastructure, the total of the projects listed amounts to around 2,372 billion lekë for hospitals/maternity hospitals alone (2,985 billion lekë if the primary network is included; 3,330 billion lekë if the PHI is also added), aiming to modernize capacities.
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