Tag: Aasandha health insurance scheme

The introduction of unrestricted, universal free healthcare with no agreed regulation or management was an act of folly: Dr Hassan Saeed

The Aasandha health scheme introduced on January 1 this year, “is and will always be completely financially unsustainable in a country such as the Maldives. And in fact would be in any country – however rich- anywhere in the world,” President Waheed’s Special Advisor, Dr Hassan Saeed writes for Haveeru.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could have a sensible and mature debate about the future of social health insurance in the Maldives? And what’s the chance of that? Pretty slim if you read former President Nasheed’s usual mixture of tedious invective and fabrication.

The introduction of unrestricted, universal free healthcare with no agreed regulation or management was an act of folly, recklessness and irresponsible political immaturity that rivals any of the actions of Mr.Nasheed’s administration.

And what’s more he knew this but still went ahead with it. And the consequence is that we now have the IMF breathing down our necks and a budget deficit that threatens to derail all government social programmes.

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Aasandha scheme doesn’t cover private clinics

The treatment from private clinics will not be covered in the universal health insurance scheme “Aasandha” commencing on January 1, 2012.

State Minister Ibrahim Waheed said the “Aasandha” scheme will not include private clinics as the government wants to establish a mechanism that would allow patients to receive all kinds of treatment from a single place, according to Haveeru.

“We haven’t planned to include private clinics in Aasandha in 2012. The government doesn’t want everyone to set up clinics in their houses but rather wants the people to be able to receive treatment from a single place,” he was quoted as saying in Haveeru.

According to Aasandha website, the scheme will initially cover treatment from IGMH, ADK Hospital, IMDC Hospital in Addu and other hospitals and health centers currently operated by state owned health corporations.

Under the parliament-approved scheme, all Maldivian citizens will receive government-sponsored coverage up to Rf100,000 (US$6,500) per year, including further provisions to citizens who require further financial assistance.

Expatriate workers are also eligible for coverage providing their employers pay an upfront fee of Rf1,000 (US$65).

The Aasandha program was officially signed at Artificial Beach on December 22 with hundreds of Maldivian citizens in attendance.

Aasandha is a public-private partnership with Allied Insurance. Under the agreement, Allied will split the scheme’s shared 60-40 with the government. The actual insurance premium will be paid by the government, while claims, billing and public awareness will be handled by the private partner.

The service will cover emergency treatment, including overseas if the treatment is not available locally, inpatient and outpatient services, domestic emergency evacuation, medicine under prescription, and diagnostic and therapeutic services.

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