PAID AND FREE MEDICAL SERVICES: HISTORICAL PARALLELS OF DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

One of the most pressing issues has always been the question of the cost of medical care. The article shows that different periods of history were characterized by different costs of medical care. The history of the ancient world and the Middle Ages was characterized by both free medicine and paid in the form of products or material values. It was shown how Russian healthcare system and the formation of the cost of medical services are reflected in different periods of history. It has been noted that the need of all social strata and rulers for medical services since ancient times has turned medical service into an important component of society’s life. Therefore, medicine inevitably interacted with various social spheres. Throughout history, this relationship has depended on many factors. Many patients believe that medical care should be free, some argue that free care is ineffective, and that is why it is necessary to introduce paid medicine. It has been revealed that so far the balance between paid and free medicine in the world has not been reached.