Who pays for the treatment of wounded soldiers and what the state guarantees: explanation from the Ministry of Defense
Kyiv • UNN
Servicemen receive free medical care; all expenses for treatment, prosthetics, and rehabilitation are covered by the state. This applies to both military and civilian institutions.
Wounded servicemen receive free medical care in military and civilian facilities, and all costs for treatment, prosthetics, and rehabilitation are covered by the state. This was reported by the Department of Health of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, informs UNN.
Details
It is noted that free medical care for servicemen is guaranteed by law and paid for from the State Budget of Ukraine.
- In military medical institutions of the Ministry of Defense, treatment is carried out according to departmental programs.
- In civilian hospitals that have an agreement with the National Health Service of Ukraine, the state directly pays for services.
At the same time, the patient should not incur additional costs.
What services are fully covered by the state
Servicemen are provided with a full range of free assistance, including:
- surgical operations and treatment;
- all necessary medicines and consumables;
- prosthetics and technical rehabilitation aids, including high-tech prostheses;
- psychological assistance and treatment of PTSD;
- medical and physical rehabilitation after injuries.
"Thus, the state guarantees full coverage of costs for treatment, prosthetics, medication, psychological assistance, and rehabilitation measures for servicemen of all components of the Defense Forces of Ukraine," the Ministry of Defense states.
When and under what conditions are military personnel sent for treatment abroad
If the necessary assistance cannot be provided in Ukraine, military personnel may be sent for treatment abroad. In such cases:
- treatment and rehabilitation are organized according to state procedures (including through the Medevac Ukraine program);
- all costs are borne by the host country;
- for the patient, treatment is free.
Does treatment depend on the circumstances of the injury
- Medical assistance is provided to servicemen free of charge regardless of the severity of the injury and the circumstances of its receipt - both during combat operations and in the rear.
- The treatment route (hospitalization, rehabilitation, treatment abroad) is determined solely by medical indications.
- Financial payments, statuses, and benefits (in particular, one-time monetary assistance or the status of a wounded person during combat operations) depend on the circumstances and degree of injury.
- These differences do not affect treatment, but only concern the system of social guarantees.
If treatment was paid for at one's own expense
The state guarantees free medical care to servicemen within the framework of current legislation, but in practice, exceptions are possible. Due to limited funding, servicemen are sometimes forced to independently purchase certain medicines or pay for additional procedures.
The system of medical support for servicemen is built on the principle: the state directly pays for treatment to medical institutions, and does not compensate patients for expenses. The legislation does not provide for a general mechanism for reimbursing funds for independently paid treatment.
However, exceptions are possible if treatment outside the departmental system occurred:
- by official referral;
- by decision of a military body.
In the absence of the possibility to provide the necessary assistance in departmental institutions, servicemen are sent to institutions that have such a possibility, for example, the Research Institute (A.P. Romodanov Institute of Neurosurgery, M.M. Amosov National Scientific Center for Cardiovascular Surgery and Hereditary Pathology, etc.)
They added that in the field of rehabilitation, the legislation provides for monetary compensation, in particular for independently purchased rehabilitation aids.
Recall
From January 2026, a single electronic address for appeals to the military ombudsman started operating in Ukraine. Servicemen and their family members can report violations of rights.