Early fruits

Public insurance rests among top priorities of welfare states and politicians as well as policy-makers feel obliged to avoid reputational risks and keep face via provision of basic services such as medical care. The scheme known as Obamacare in the United States is one of the best-known plans which managed to attract supports even by the opposition groups. That very notion prompted the virtual space users and social media in Iran to call the new administration's medical care plan "Rouhanicare". Apart from some insincere reactions to the plan, the majority of people and government officials accepted the idea. There were some major problems; however, since the failed former actions have engraved a sense of mistrust to government in public minds. This mistrust dramatically revealed itself in people's refusal to government's demand to decline cash subsidies and allocate the subsidy cut revenues to medical care plan. Rouhani administration faced the challenge of financing the scheme and was forced to seek other resources. The first phase covered public hospitals and required them to offer medical services while the patient was expected to pay for only 10 percent of total costs. The impact was swift and brought positive feedback. Yet, it may take some time to demonstrate its full effects and modify the negative attitudes. This time, the Minister of Health has extended his new ideas to society and introduced plans to settle the government debts to hospitals and insurance companies, pay the arrears of the system, and bring all insurance schemes under one umbrella. Due to relative success of previous promises, it is expected that new plans bear early fruits.