Egypt – national health insurance first phase

The new health insurance law and its executive regulation does not specify the role of the private medical insurance sector.

The national health insurance scheme is to be implemented between now and 2032. Calls for a role in it for privately held insurers have been sounded since the law giving effect to the scheme was in the drafting stage.

The new health care plan will be applied first in Port Said, followed by Suez, Ismailia, North and South Sinai. 800,000 citizens will benefit from this new system in Port Said.

The first phase will include eliminating patients’ waiting lists within six months, developing 47 hospitals nationwide and maintaining strategic stocks of vaccines, and infant formula. It will also make medical check ups for 45 million people and provide the treatment for those infected with Hepatitis C in two years.

The new General Authority for Health Insurance will finance and run the system.

There will be a new independent healthcare authority responsible for the health care of citizens, the General Authority for Healthcare.

A new independent quality and accreditation authority, the General Authority for Accreditation and Supervision, will assess and accredit hospitals and other health providers that the new system can use.