Which programme should I apply to? The treatment funding sequence in 6 questions
For planned treatment in Georgia, the first source is the Universal Healthcare Programme; for the remaining amount you turn to the referral commission and the municipality, and only at the end to charitable foundations. Treatment abroad has its own routes, and in an emergency treatment starts first and funding is sorted out afterwards. Answer six questions to see a sequence tailored to your case, with a link to a detailed guide at every step.
Choosing the sequence
In short: five rules of the funding sequence
- For treatment in Georgia, Universal Healthcare always comes first: the clinic sends the request, and you keep a copy of the guarantee letter.
- The referral commission is the last resort of state funding and asks for the written responses of the other sources, so people apply to it after Universal Healthcare.
- The municipality is determined by your registered address, not by where you are treated.
- Social or disability status is not a separate door: it increases your share in every application, so attach the extract everywhere.
- Foundations and a charity campaign are the last link, once the state sources have had their say and the remaining amount is known exactly.
The general sequence by situation
The table follows the same logic as the tool. It does not replace the current year's programme rules: state and municipal programmes approve their terms every year.
| Situation | First step | Next | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planned surgery in Georgia | Universal Healthcare via the clinic | Referral commission, City Hall programme | Foundations, campaign |
| Cancer care in Georgia | The oncology component of Universal Healthcare | Medicines list, commission, municipality | Foundations, campaign |
| Treatment abroad, adult | State co-funding based on a Ministry expert's opinion | Municipality | Foundations, campaign |
| Cancer care abroad, under 18 | Solidarity Fund of Georgia contracts with partner clinics | Municipality | Foundations, campaign |
| Medicines, dialysis, rehabilitation | The relevant separate state programme | Referral commission, municipality | Foundations, campaign |
| Emergency | 112 or the nearest clinic | After treatment, the municipality | Foundations, campaign |
If you have a private or corporate policy, the insurer comes before everything else in every planned scenario. The detailed route for surgery: funding for surgery step by step.
Why does the order matter so much?
Funding sources complement one another; they do not replace one another. Each subsequent agency calculates its amount based on what is left after the previous stage, so it needs the official response from that stage in hand. If a family goes to City Hall without the Universal Healthcare letter, the application will either be put on hold or be written for the full amount and sent back in the end anyway.
The backbone of this chain is written documents. The Universal Healthcare guarantee letter shows how much the state covers; the commission's decision states what amount was added; and the City Hall response reduces the balance. The more precise these papers are, the easier it is for the next body to calculate its own share.
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The clinic's cost estimate and Form 100
You will need both documents at every stage. The certificate must state the diagnosis with its ICD-10 code and the specific procedure; we explain how to check it in the Form 100 guide.
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The Universal Healthcare response
The approval letter for planned care is issued by the National Health Agency, and the application is usually filed by the clinic in the electronic system. What Universal Healthcare covers.
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The commission and the municipality
You apply to both for the remaining amount, often in parallel, but both applications must include the Universal Healthcare response. How the referral commission works, a sample application to the commission and City Hall healthcare programmes.
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Private sources
You go to a foundation or a campaign with an exact, documented balance, which builds trust and rules out raising more than is needed.
Treatment abroad and emergencies: why the scheme changes
When treatment is planned in another country, the tool no longer offers Universal Healthcare as the first step: that programme mainly covers care provided in Georgia. For an adult patient, the main route is state co-funding, which is considered when the necessary treatment is not available in the country. For this you need an opinion from the Ministry's specialist expert and a detailed cost estimate from the foreign clinic, translated and notarised. All the conditions are in the guide to funding treatment abroad.
A patient under 18 with a cancer diagnosis has a different route: the Solidarity Fund of Georgia funds their treatment abroad through contracts signed with partner foreign clinics. Some heart operations for children also have separate rules, so we advise the family of a minor to read the guide to funding a child's treatment before paying an advance to a foreign clinic.
In an emergency, the sequence is entirely different. In a life-threatening situation, you first call 112 or go to the nearest clinic: emergency care is covered by Universal Healthcare, and no application should come before treatment. For the costs remaining after treatment, the family applies to the municipality and, if needed, to charitable sources.
How the tool uses your answers
Each of the six questions changes one specific part of the scheme. Below you can see which.
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Place and age
These two answers choose the first step: Universal Healthcare in Georgia, state co-funding abroad, and the fund's contract programme for childhood cancer.
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Need
Oncology, medicines, dialysis and rehabilitation each add their own state programme to the sequence. Which programme covers which medicine is on the medicines funding page; oncology details are in the cancer treatment guide, the state rehabilitation programmes are on a separate page, and the rules for joining the dialysis programme are on the haemodialysis page.
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Insurance
A private or corporate policyholder has different rules for taking part in Universal Healthcare, so the tool puts the insurer first and recommends asking for the terms in writing.
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Status and registration
Status adds a reminder to the sequence to attach the extract to every application. How status affects funding. The registered address chooses between the Tbilisi City Hall sub-programmes and another municipality's programme.
If an agency refuses you, ask for the refusal in writing, with reasons: the time limit for appealing it is limited. How to appeal a funding refusal and a sample complaint.
Frequently asked questions about the funding sequence
Can I go straight to the referral commission, without the Universal Healthcare Programme?
Anyone can apply to the commission, but it is the last resort of state funding and covers the costs that no other programme or insurance reaches. That is why it asks for the written responses of the other sources. If you do not attach the Universal Healthcare response, the commission may ask you to submit it, and time will be lost. Treatment abroad is a separate case: there, Universal Healthcare is not the first step.
I have private insurance. Can I no longer use Universal Healthcare?
For people with private or corporate insurance, the rules for taking part in Universal Healthcare are different and the coverage is usually narrower, including for cancer care. That is why the tool suggests your insurer as the first step. Ask for the policy terms and exclusions in writing and, if you are refused, for a reasoned written response: the next source will need it, and so will an appeal. The rule for each specific category is in the Universal Healthcare guide.
I live in Tbilisi but am registered in another town. Which City Hall should I apply to?
Municipal healthcare programmes are tied to your registered address, so you normally apply to the municipality where you are registered, not the one where you actually live or are treated. Each municipal council approves its own rules every year, and some also require a minimum period of registration. Before you decide to change your registration, check the current year's resolution.
Does the tool's result mean I will get funding?
No. The tool only shows you the order: which source to approach first and which next. Each agency decides on funding and its amount under its own rules, and programme terms change every year. Solidaroba.ge is a private company: it does not grant funding and has no influence on the agencies' decisions. In a complex case, a partner lawyer will assess your documents individually.
What should I do if one of the sources refuses me?
First ask for the refusal in writing, with reasons, because an oral answer is no use for an appeal. As a general rule, a refusal by a state or municipal agency is challenged by an administrative complaint within one month of being officially notified. At the same time, use the refusal letter with the next source so the sequence does not stall. Our Deadline calculator will also help you work out the last day.
For the next step
- Funding for surgery step by step What to write in the application, what to attach and where time is lost.
- Referral Services Programme Who reviews the application, with which documents and within what time.
- Deadline calculator The deadline for appealing a refusal and for an agency's response, by date.
- Finding funding with a lawyer Preparing applications, planning the sequence and appealing refusals.
You know the sequence, but the applications still need writing?
Send us Form 100 and the clinic's cost estimate. A partner lawyer will assess which sources are realistic for you, and we will prepare a separate package for each agency.