National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) CEO Heena Waleed has said that before the end of the year, changes will be brought to Aasandha issuance.
National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) CEO Heena Waleed has said that before the end of the year, changes will be brought to Aasandha issuance.
After the change, Aasandha coverage will be provided after first deducting from any private insurance held by the patient.
Speaking at a parliamentary committee meeting in August, Heena said that a solution for double insurance coverage would be found once Aasandha is reformed in October. She said that after this, the medical charges will be first deducted from private insurance, with the balance then being eligible for Aasandha coverage.
"We are working on bringing some changes to welfare policy and Aasandha policy. Drafts for this are now compiled and will soon be presented to the cabinet, with recommended amendments," she said.
Heena said that most of the administrative work around these changes are being done at present, and will be in effect before the end of the year.
A separate Aasandha policy is being drafted for those who have insurance besides Aasandha.
The government is working on reforming Aasandha to minimize wasteful expenses. Among these efforts is the government's decision to procure medicine in bulk.
The latest statistics by the Ministry of Finance show that between January and June this year, Aasandha expenses are at MVR 918 million. This is 50 percent of the year's budget allocation for Aasandha, with MVR 1.9 million allocated in total.