New Regulations for GSS Now in Effect – Official Gazette Announcement
The Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law, along with the regulations pertaining to General Health Insurance, have been officially published in the Official Gazette. The Law on Social Insurance and General Health Insurance, as well as the Law on Amendments to Certain Laws, was approved by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on January 9 and has now been made public.
Under this new legislation, family medicine services will be provided free of charge, with exceptions for services rendered to foreigners, acupuncture, phytotherapy outside of regular hours by certified family physicians, and services specified by the Ministry in special purpose reports. Additionally, a co-payment of 20 lira will be required for outpatient physician and dentist visits. The Social Security Institution (SGK) has been granted the authority to reduce this co-payment by up to half for patients referred by primary healthcare providers.
Furthermore, a 5-point discount on insurance premiums for disability, old-age, and death insurance that private sector employers pay to the SSI will now be reduced to 4 points. This adjustment will come into effect from the month of publication of the law. The discount for workplaces in the manufacturing sector will continue until December 31, 2026, with the possibility of extension by the President until December 31, 2027.
For individuals whose insurance commenced before December 31, 2008, those with a working capacity loss rate of 40-49% are now eligible for old-age pension if they have a minimum of 18 years of insurance coverage and 4,100 days of premium payment.
Overall, these new laws aim to improve access to healthcare services, reduce financial burdens for individuals, and provide better support for both employees and employers in the private sector.
