Health insurance regulatory body on the cards

IDDY MWEMA

THE National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) has urged government to establish a regulatory body to oversee the administration of health insurance services in the country.

NHIF acting Director General Mr Michael Mhando made the call in Dar es Salaam during a meeting with Deputy Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dr Hamis Kigwangala, and members of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Services.

“Lack of regulatory authority to control the service charges and prices of medicines, especially in private hospitals and health facilities, is a risk factor to health insurance as service providers come up with new prices of medicines every day, something which may force NHIF to also inflate its contribution costs to our members,” he said.

He also mentioned fraud from service providers, poor health services in rural areas and lack of medicines in public health facilities as factors that hamper provision of efficient health services to NHIF members.

He said these challenges would be solved in time, the Fund would realise its Universal Health Coverage dream. Currently the Fund covers 27 per cent of the population, up from 14 per cent in 2012/2013.

Ranked as the best innovative fund in Africa, NHIF was praised by the Members of the Committee and the deputy minister for improving its services. “The fund has been carrying out various innovative services to ensure all groups in our society benefit from improved health services, Urambo East MP (CCM), Ms Margaret Sitta said.

She urged other MPs to help the Fund to enable it realise its objectives. She appealed to the Fund managers to conduct nationwide education programmes to enable people understand the key goals of NHIF. Responding to suggestions and challenges raised by the Bunge Committee, Dr Kigwangala said government plans to establish a health services regulatory authority. “Proposals put forward by the MPs geared at improving the Fund will be taken on board to improve the health services in the country,” he said. On fraud cases, Dr Kigwangala said he has formed a special committee to promote the matter before taking legal measures.