Writer: Adrian Kalule. PHOTO/FILE
The National health Insurance Scheme could loosely be understood as a system of health insurance that insures the population against the costs of health care.
This form of social protection has its place traced in history dating way back to 1883 in Germany under Otto Von Bismarck. It entailed establishment of several “sickness funds” that had mandatory enrolment and defined benefits, covering members domestically, (Bump, Jesse B. October 19, 2010 “The long road to universal health coverage).
Notwithstanding the antecedents to this great historical establishment, its aftermath remains of great value to the insurance industry and health sector of various countries in providing universal health to people.
National Health Insurance as a form of achieving universal health coverage ensures the provision of health care while mitigating financial costs incurred in attaining health services.
It has been strongly argued that the National Health Insurance Scheme would be able to protect Ugandans from unexpected and high medical costs by giving them an opportunity to pay affordable premiums and get treatment in return when they need it.
This move will have a far-reaching impact in as far as achieving universal health care and most importantly provide adequate preparation for calamities that are often uncertain.
This could be Uganda’s perfect opportunity in archiving a sound universal Health Care.
Interestingly, with an effective National Health Insurance Scheme, there lies hope for a longer life expectancy, for instance it was revealed by the World Bank Report, 2022, that countries with an effectively operating Universal Health Cover (UHC) have a longer life expectancy.
Uganda’s proposed National Health Insurance Scheme will further the realisation of the right to health.
This is so because the encompassing elements of the right to health ie Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Quality of health services become more achievable.
On enforcement, the Insurance Regulatory Authority has always expressed willingness to partner with government to ensure effective implementation and supervision as part of its statutory mandates in so as ensuring that this scheme is successful.
It is however important to note, that for an effective operationalisation of this long-over-due scheme, deliberate and strategic measures ought to be taken by government as a means to achieve its intended objectives.
Mass sensitisation must be prioritized to foster an understanding of the advantages of the scheme accruing to its beneficiaries; this will further counter perception biases that might view this initiative as a different form of taxation.
The fight towards corruption should relentlessly continue for the public to fully trust the initiative and willingly pay up their premiums with an assurance of positive results.
We remain prone to natural occurrences just like the covid 19 pandemic, the Kiteezi disaster and its aftermath etc, however National Health insurance is one and perhaps an effective way of preparing for such uncertainties, archiving universal health and promoting social security in the face of disaster.
Adrian Kalule is a lawyer and FES alumni. [email protected]
