Authorities are currently working on upgrading the Aasandha portal to curb excessive spending on the universal healthcare insurance scheme, the national healthcare insurance provider, Aasandha Company Ltd. has announced.
The Aasandha healthcare insurance scheme is designed to provide comprehensive healthcare coverage for all nationals, without any limitations or caps. However, authorities have expressed concerns about this structure, as the State’s expenditure on healthcare coverage has increased exponentially over recent years.
While a specific amount is allocated in the national budget for Aasandha coverage, in recent years, this limit has exceeded, forcing the government to seek additional funds to cover the rising costs. According to official figures, the State currently spends over US$194.5 million every year on Aasandha coverage.
The Dr Mohamed Muizzu administration, in collaboration with Aasandha, is actively working to reduce excessive healthcare expenditure. Mariyam Fiyaza, Manager of the Medical Investigation Section of Aasandha, explained that as part of these efforts, the company is currently upgrading its online portal.
“We are upgrading the Aasandha portal as part of our cost reduction efforts. There have been instances where [medical] tests have been repeated. With the new changes to the portal, those issues can be resolved. Currently, the portal does not display the results of tests, so individual responsibility is also required. When consulting a doctor, it is crucial for the patient to bring their medical records,” she said.
Fiyaza also stated that pharmacies will be flagged under the new changes, if a customer repeatedly takes the same medications from the pharmacies. In such instances, the pharmacies will be mandated to provide the reasons why the medication has been issued to the same customer repeatedly, she added.
The new changes will also introduce a dispense code, which will identify the customer to whom the medication has been dispensed, she noted, adding that pharmacies will not be permitted to dispense medication without the proper dispense code. This will address the issue of patients sending others to collect medication from pharmacies, Fiyaza undersccored.
Fiyaza also highlighted the importance of individual responsibilities in supporting the government's Aasandha cost reduction efforts. Patients should inform Aasandha if they receive transaction notifications without having consulted a doctor, or if they have requested a consultation but did not see the doctor, she advised.
Fiyaza added that under the new changes to the Aasandha portal, the company will send notifications to patients if an appointment transaction has been cancelled. She also reiterated the importance of taking medical records and results of medical tests, when going in for doctor consultations. This would stop the issues caused by repetitive tests and repetitive prescriptions of the same medication, she added.