Deductions from Pension Payments include several items, with medicine-related deductions being particularly significant. You can easily check the deductions taken from your pension, including how much is withheld for medication, using simple methods.
Why Are Deductions Made from Pensions?
There are various reasons for deductions from pension payments. While medicine-related deductions are common, pensions may also be reduced for other reasons:
- If debts to government agencies are not paid and the debt goes into enforcement, up to one quarter of the pension can be withheld;
- If there is an alimony debt, the relevant alimony amount may be deducted;
- If a retiree continues to work, Social Security (SGK) contribution deductions for support premiums may apply.
In addition to these, deductions for treatment and medications can reduce pension income. To find out why your pension is being deducted, use the e-government (e-Devlet) portal. First sign in to the e-Devlet system. If you do not have a password, you can obtain one from a nearby PTT branch. After logging in, search for “emekli aylığı durumu” (pension status) in the search field and open the relevant page to see which institutions or reasons are causing deductions from your pension.
How Much Is the Medication Deduction from a Pension?
Health and medication expenses are among the largest expenditures for many retirees. Visits to public hospitals and prescribed medications obtained from pharmacies are covered under the general health insurance system. Individuals who do not pay general health insurance premiums cannot benefit from health services, which is why insurance contributions are required.
General health insurance premiums for employees are usually deducted from wages. For retirees who are no longer employed, these premiums are collected from pension payments. The rate for this deduction from the pension is set at 10%. This participation fee applies to all retirees and does not change based on whether they visit a hospital or not. After this participation fee, costs for prescriptions and medication supply may also be charged.
Prescription fees are applied as follows: for medicines prescribed in one, two, or three boxes, a prescription fee of 3 TL is charged; for prescriptions with more than three boxes, a fee of 1 TL is charged per medicine. This fee is a prescription charge—not the medication price—and these amounts are carried over to the next month’s pension. When going to the pharmacy after a medical visit, a participation fee will be requested. This amount is the fee that people covered by general health insurance must pay.
For medicines covered by SGK, a contribution is charged at certain rates; for medicines that SGK fully covers, no fee is requested. However, most medicines require a participation fee. Employed insured persons and the dependents they are responsible for generally pay a 20% contribution, while retirees pay a 10% participation fee. This participation fee is also known as the medication co-payment. If you need a drug that SGK does not cover, you must pay its full price yourself.
You can quickly check pension deductions by logging into the e-Devlet system and using the relevant inquiry services.
What Are Medical Examination Fees for Retirees?
Medical examination fees for retirees are grouped into three levels. In the first level—dispensaries, primary health centers, official institutions, and mother-and-child health centers—examinations are provided free of charge and no fee is collected as a result of the visit. In the second tier—training and research hospitals, state hospitals, and city hospitals—fees or deductions may be applied depending on the treatment method. University hospitals or specialized training and research hospitals may have higher examination fees compared with other institutions.