Aasandha services to be provided in local and foreign hospitals through packages

The National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) has said that efforts are ongoing to provide services in hospitals in Maldives as well as abroad under Aasandha, by introducing packages.

Head of NSPA, Minister of State for Health Thorig Ali Luthfy told reporters yesterday that discussions are ongoing with foreign hospitals regarding the provision of services under Aasandha insurance scheme by introducing packages. He said that serious operations, tests, follow up consultations, medications and accommodation can be covered by the packages.

“Then they would have to pay the price of the package. Now we pay the amounts billed by the hospitals. When we do this the hospitals will have to manage within the limit of the package. That would be the difference. Then we would purchase the service in full. We now follow the Fee-For-Service system. That means they provide the service and bill us accordingly,” he said.

He said that changes are also being made to the Fee-For-Service system standards.

“We are trying to establish standards for the packages. It’s not easy to make sudden changes to a working system. And we haven’t decided to make any changes to the current limits. We are trying to provide this service to all Maldivians without making any changes to the limits,” he said.

Thorig said that it had been decided to make changes to the prices and how the services are provided. He said that once the packages are introduced, payments cannot be made without informing NSPA.

“Some neighbouring countries already provide the services in packages. Open heart surgery can be performed in big hospitals in India for INR 60,000. We can only do it for about $5,000. As a result of the schemes of those countries and their policies in relation to buying these services, they have managed to reduce the prices,” he said.

Thorig said that discussions are ongoing to introduce packages under Aasandha and reduce prices of services at foreign hospitals.

“The services from local hospitals are also slowly being changed from Fee-For-Service to package system. This would make the complications faced by the patient a part of the institution’s responsibility. These things can only be done slowly,” he said.

Thorig said that NSPA is working on making changes to the service methods in order to reduce the expenditure on the scheme. He said that wastage can be minimised once packages are introduced.

He said that about 4,000 people obtain treatment abroad under Aasandha every year.