Dr. Gashumba made this revelation during a meeting with members of the Standing Senatorial Committee on Social Affairs and Human Rights.
The proposed funding model responds to the financing gaps experienced by the Community Health Insurance Scheme, which result from the mismatch between subscriber contributions and the cost of providing health care.
With the current subscribing ratios, individuals belonging to the second and third categories of Ubudehe annual contribution is Rwf5, 000 to the health insurance pool where the government subsidizes Rwf3,000 or 60% and the balance, Rwf2, 000 paid by the citizen.
The minister says that the current average cost of health care is Rwf7, 000, which leaves a funding gap of 28.6%.
“This monetary gap between subscriber contributions and health expenditures is causing a delay in the funding required for health care facilities,” said the minister.
The minister also pointed out that this discrepancy has nevertheless shown that Rwandans understand more and more the importance of early treatment since medical consultations have tripled over the last 15 years.
“The demand for health services per citizen has increased. The government, therefore, requested that the program not be destabilized and opted for other sources of funding,” said Dr. Gashumba.
She added that the government would impose a 2% tax increase on drugs imported into the country.
The RSSB figures indicate that contributions to Mutuelle were estimated at more than $ 13.3 billion in the last six months, from July to December 2018, but that the benefit expenditures for subscribers exceeded $ 27.4 billion dollars in the same period.
Currently, the Mutuelle de Santé Insurance has a national coverage rate of 84%.
Leave a Reply