The article deals with the financial and economic problems of access to health care for the citizens of Russia. It analyzes basic methodological approaches as well as the corresponding official statistics and sociological research on the state of the country’s health system, which, according to author’s opinion, can describe the situation with the accessibility of health care. It is shown that underfunding of health care from public sources and the associated expansion of private finances, can signal problems with access for Russian citizens. Especially if the overall socio-economic situation in the country is taken into account, namely the federal state policy of shifting health expenditures to regional level under the conditions of high regional social and economic differentiation and high income inequality. Thus, the development of fiscal policy within the budget federalism in Russia should take into account its implications for people’s access to health.
access to health care, health care system in Russia, health financing, budget policy, fee for service, health inequality
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