The Ministry of Health denies rumors about the mobilization of Ukrainians with disabilities after the abolition of Medical-social expert commissions

The Ministry of Health (MOH) of Ukraine refutes rumors that the abolition of Medical and Social Expert Commissions (MSECs) as of January 1, 2025, will result in the cancellation of disability status or the mobilization of people with disabilities.

This information was published by the ministry’s press service.

The MOH clarified the following:

• All individuals with disability status will continue to receive benefits, services, assistance, and exemption from mobilization based on MSEC conclusions valid for the duration of their validity.
• Claims that all men with disabilities aged 25–60 must undergo a re-evaluation of their disability status are false.
• This category of individuals will only undergo re-evaluation if they were supposed to do so between 2022 and 2024 but were unable to for valid reasons, as outlined in exceptions provided by wartime legislation.
• Both the MSECs and the expert teams of medical practitioners replacing them on January 1, 2025, determine or revoke disability status strictly based on the grounds and criteria defined in the law.
• Disability status guarantees exemption from mobilization, access to benefits, social guarantees, and assistance.
• From January 1, 2025, expert teams of medical practitioners will replace the MSECs.

It is important to note that during the war, many MSECs became embroiled in scandals and came to symbolize corruption, issuing disability certificates for large sums of money to enable draft evasion. In October, President Volodymyr Zelensky enacted a decision by the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to abolish MSECs. The process of forming a new disability assessment system was immediately initiated. A Cabinet of Ministers resolution and a Health Ministry order have already been issued on this matter, followed by the introduction of new legislation.