Parents with young children who are dissatisfied with the quality of healthcare services outnumber the disgruntled elderly (63 percent against 52 percent). Curiously, the higher a patient's personal income, the more likely he/she is to criticize the quality of medical services provided free of charge.
More than half of the respondents (59 percent) admit they occasionally use medical services uncovered by their government-financed health insurances, including 52 percent of the elderly and 70 percent of the parents with minor children; 13 percent of old-age pensioners and 17 percent of parents check out such healthcare services quite often; 48 percent in the former population group and 30 percent in the latter say they have never taken the option before.
People in Russia usually give preference to medical services rendered for a fee if they need consultation by a specialist rather than a GP or if they do not want to line up to be admitted.
As many as 65 percent of those surveyed believe patients shall never be charged. The view is shared by 72 percent of the retirees. But 26 percent in this category do not mind having a choice between free services and ones provided for fee. Among parents, 55 percent would like to have both options available to them while only 41 percent of those advocate free healthcare throughout.
