The President’s Office has stated that the revisions to be made to Aasandha, the national health insurance scheme, will reduce the cost of services at private hospitals.
At a press conference, the Spokesperson at the President’s Office Miuvaan Mohamed said that the national health insurance scheme will be reformed this year and that it will solve the rising cost of services at private hospitals. He said the reform involves making the scheme more efficient and cost-effective, which will in turn reduce the cost of services in the private health sector.
The national health insurance scheme was established for citizens to easily receive healthcare services. As such, patients are not required to directly pay for treatment at government hospitals and health centres under the insurance scheme. However, citizens have expressed concern over the rising cost of services at private hospitals and clinics, as the services are not fully covered by Aasandha.
The Aasandha scheme, which was launched in 2008, costs more than USD65 million annually. Over USD1 billion has been spent under the scheme over the past 10 years. The government has stated that the health insurance scheme will be revised to enable it to benefit all citizens equally, adding that the current expenditure does not meet standards.