By KGR Reporter,
Families will contribute Fifteen thousand shillings to the insurance pool for each member of their household should the cabinet approve the proposed National Health Insurance Scheme bill, the Health Minister, Dr. Ruth Aceng has revealed.
There have been various failed attempts by the Health Ministry to establish the national health insurance scheme since 2004.
The latest attempt was last year when parliament passed the bill only to be withdrawn shortly after.
Now, Aceng says in the new proposals, they are making it mandatory for everyone to join the scheme after establishing that Ugandans don’t appreciate what they don’t pay for. Dr. Aceng speaking…..
She adds that the more dependants one has, the more money they will be required to contribute to the pool.
However, experts differ from the idea of having everyone contribute.
Dr. Githinji Gitahi, the AMREF Health Africa Chief Executive Officer suggested that the government does mapping to determine, which people can afford to contribute irrespective of whether they work in the informal or formal sector.
He suggests the use of Village Health Teams (VHTs) to determine those who can afford the annual contribution and this he says has to be a continuous process because poverty levels keep changing. END.