Aasandha exhausts budget; spending hits MVR 2.5 billion

Aasandha, the public health insurance service, has depleted its budget for 2024, with spending now above MVR 2 billion.

The annual budget allocation for Aasandha this year is MVR 1.9 billion.

Its spending hit MVR 838 million in Q1, and another MVR 823 million in Q2.

The Q3 statistics released by the service on Wednesday shows it spent MVR 903 million between July 1 and September 30. The figure is a 8.4 percent increase on the MVR 833 million spent during the same period last year.

The total spending this year has now risen above MVR 2.5 billion.

Total 280,491 patients received Aasandha services in Q3 2024, higher than the 278,255 patients who received services in Q3 2023.

But the number of patients who received Aasandha for treatment overseas declined compared to the previous quarter. 2,807 patients received Aasandha for treatment overseas in Q2 2024, but the number declined to 2,370 patients in Q3 2024.

1,226 patients received emergency evacuation through Aasandha during Q3 2024.

Spending on Aasandha has increased by 60 percent over the last five years.

The Finance Ministry previously warned that spending on Aasandha could hit MVR 3.4 billion if it goes unchecked.