VOLUNTARY HEALTH INSURANCE AS A TOOL OF SOCIAL STABILITY IN WAR CONDITIONS
Abstract
The article explores the transformation of the voluntary health insurance (VHI) market in Ukraine during the full-scale war, focusing on its increasing importance as both a financial and social safety net. It emphasizes the critical role of VHI in complementing the strained public healthcare system, especially in supporting employees of critical infrastructure, internally displaced persons, volunteers, and humanitarian workers. The study provides a detailed analysis of key market trends, including the inflation-adjusted growth of insurance premiums and claims, the redistribution of risks, and structural shifts in consumer behavior. The authors underline the need to evaluate the development of the VHI market in dynamic terms, with a clear distinction between nominal and real growth figures, in order to understand the genuine expansion of insurance coverage versus inflationary distortions. Furthermore, the paper highlights significant operational and strategic challenges faced by insurers during wartime, such as a reduction in corporate insurance budgets, increasing claims due to injury and stress-related conditions, and the exclusion of war-related risks from coverage. The article also discusses the gradual reconfiguration of insurance portfolios, the shift toward individual digital products, and the growth of demand for telemedicine, mental health support, and rehabilitation services. In this context, the importance of innovation is emphasized—particularly the integration of mobile applications, cloud data storage, AI-driven service models, and flexible product designs tailored to new risk environments. In addition, the study outlines prospects for further development of the VHI sector, including public-private cooperation models, enhancement of the regulatory environment, and the adoption of international best practices for post-war healthcare reconstruction. Special attention is paid to the role of VHI in shaping social resilience, ensuring continued access to medical services, and supporting national recovery through the protection of human capital. Ultimately, the article argues that the war has become a catalyst for the modernization of the Ukrainian insurance sector, reaffirming the strategic value of VHI as an integral component of the national security and public health framework.
References
Від топ-менеджерів Helsi. В Україні запустили ще один сервіс. NV Бізнес : веб-сайт. URL: https://biz.nv.ua/ukr/markets/v-ukrajini-zapustili-neostrahoviy-medichniy-servis-50415408.html (дата звернення: 10.06.2025).
OECD. Impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on insurance markets, Business and Finance Policy Papers, OECD Publishing, Paris. 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/731d1305-en
The field of insurance during the war. Golaw : веб-сайт. URL: https://golaw.ua/insights/publication/sfera-strahuvannya-pid-chas-vijni (дата звернення: 08.06.2025).
Yehorycheva S., Fysun I., Hudz T., Palchuk O., Boiko N. Innovations in the insurance market of a developing country: Case of Ukraine. Investment Management and Financial Innovations. 2020. № 17 (4). P.175-188. DOI: 10.21511/imfi.17(4).2020.17
Valinkevych N., Polchanov A., Kovalenko Ye. A strategy of insurance market development in conditions of latent military conflict in Ukraine. Economic Annals-XXI. 2020. № 182 (3-4), P. 15-24.
Базовий індекс інфляції в Україні 2025. Мінфін: веб-сайт. URL: https://index.minfin.com.ua/ua/economy/index/inflation/basic (дата звернення: 11.06.2025).
Баранник Л. Б., Качула С. В. Обов’язкове медичне страхування як елемент системи соціальної безпеки населення. Економічний вісник університету. 2023. Вип. 56. С. 155–162.
Борисова В. А. Діагностика соціально-економічного потенціалу медичного страхування в Україні. Науковий вісник Полтавського університету економіки і торгівлі. Серія : Економічні науки. 2022. № 2. С. 31–41.
Василевська Н. С. Медичне страхування під час воєнного стану в Україні: практичний нарис. Правова держава. 2023. № 50. С. 120–127.
Ерастов В. І. Перспективи розвитку добровільного медичного страхування в сучасних умовах. Ефективна економіка. 2023. № 4. URL: http://nbuv.gov.ua/UJRN/efek_2023_4_38
Пшеничний П. Як український бізнес допомагає відновленню ринку ДМС. DELO: веб-сайт. URL: https://delo.ua/insurance/zdorovya-znovu-v-trendi-yak-ukrayinskii-biznes-dopomagaje-vidnovlennyu-rinku-dms-429453 (дата звернення: 10.04.2025).
Рейтинг страхових компаній України. Форіншурер: веб-сайт. URL URL: https://forinsurer.com/ratings/nonlife/14/12/45 (дата звернення: 11.06.2025).
Репко М. Механізм страхування воєнних ризиків для України. Center for economic strategy: веб-сайт. URL: https://ces.org.ua/en/war-risks-insurance-ukraine (дата звернення: 9.06.2025).
Соловей С. Систематизація проблем запровадження медичного страхування в Україні. Публічне управління: концепції, парадигма, розвиток, удосконалення. 2023. Вип. 6. С. 151–160.
Тохимчук В. В., Панкратов І. О. Проблеми та перспективи медичного забезпечення військовослужбовців хворих COVID-19, в умовах медичного страхування. Фармацевтичний журнал. 2023. Т. 78, № 3. С. 30–38.
NV Biznes. V Ukraini zapustyly neostrakhovyi medychnyi servіs [A non-insurance medical service was launched in Ukraine]. Available at: https://biz.nv.ua/ukr/markets/v-ukrajini-zapustili-neostrahoviy-medichniy-servis-50415408.html (in Ukrainian)
OECD (2022). Impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on insurance markets, Business and Finance Policy Papers, OECD Publishing, Paris. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/731d1305-en
The field of insurance during the war. Available at: https://golaw.ua/insights/publication/sfera-strahuvannya-pid-chas-vijni/
Yehorycheva S., Fysun I., Hudz, T., Palchuk O., Boiko N. (2020). Innovations in the insurance market of a developing country: Case of Ukraine. Investment Management and Financial Innovations, 17(4), pp. 175–188. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21511/imfi.17(4).2020.17
Valinkevych N., Polchanov A., Kovalenko Ye. (2020). A strategy of insurance market development in conditions of latent military conflict in Ukraine. Economic Annals-XXI, 182(3–4), pp. 15–24.
Bazovyi indeks infliatsii v Ukraini 2025 [Core inflation index in Ukraine 2025]. Available at: https://index.minfin.com.ua/ua/economy/index/inflation/basic/ (in Ukrainian)
Barannyk L. B., Kachula S. V. (2023). Obov’yazkove medychne strakhuvannya yak element systemy sotsialnoi bezpeky naselennya [Compulsory health insurance as an element of the social security system]. Ekonomichnyi visnyk universytetu, issue 56, pp. 155–162. (in Ukrainian)
Borysova V. A. (2022). Diahnostyka sotsialno-ekonomichnoho potentsialu medychnoho strakhuvannya v Ukraini [Diagnostics of the socio-economic potential of medical insurance in Ukraine]. Naukovyi visnyk Poltavskoho universytetu ekonomiky i torhivli. Seriya: Ekonomichni nauky, no. 2, pp. 31–41. (in Ukrainian)
Vasylevska N. S. (2023). Medychne strakhuvannya pid chas voiennoho stanu v Ukraini: praktychnyi narys [Health insurance during martial law in Ukraine: a practical essay]. Pravova derzhava, no. 50, pp. 120–127. (in Ukrainian)
Erastov V.I. (2023). Perspektyvy rozvytku dobrovilnoho medychnoho strakhuvannya v suchasnykh umovakh [Prospects for the development of voluntary health insurance under current conditions]. Efektyvna ekonomika, no. 4. Available at: http://nbuv.gov.ua/UJRN/efek_2023_4_38 (in Ukrainian)
Pshenychnyi P. Yak ukrainskyi biznes dopomahaie vidnovlenniu rynku DMS [How Ukrainian business helps revive the VHI market]. DELO. Available at: https://delo.ua/insurance/zdorovya-znovu-v-trendi-yak-ukrayinskii-biznes-dopomagaje-vidnovlennyu-rinku-dms-429453/ (in Ukrainian)
Reitynh strakhovykh kompaniy Ukrainy [Ranking of insurance companies in Ukraine]. Available at: https://forinsurer.com/ratings/nonlife/14/12/45 (in Ukrainian)
Repko M. Mekhanizm strakhuvannya voiennykh ryzykiv dlya Ukrainy [Mechanism for war risk insurance for Ukraine]. Available at: https://ces.org.ua/en/war-risks-insurance-ukraine/ (in Ukrainian)
Solovey S. (2023). Systematyzatsiya problem zaprovadzhennya medychnoho strakhuvannya v Ukraini [Systematization of problems in implementing health insurance in Ukraine]. Publichne upravlinnya: kontseptsii, paradyhma, rozvytok, udoskonalennia, issue 6, pp. 151–160. (in Ukrainian)
Tokhymchuk V. V., Pankratov I. O. (2023). Problemy ta perspektyvy medychnoho zabezpechennya viiskovosluzhbovtsiv khvorykh na COVID-19 v umovakh medychnoho strakhuvannya [Problems and prospects of medical support for military personnel with COVID-19 under health insurance]. Farmatsevtychnyi zhurnal, vol. 78, no. 3, pp. 30–38. (in Ukrainian)
