Challenges to the Implementation of Social Health Insurance in Sudan
Social Health Insurance in Sudan
The Social Health Insurance (SHI) in Sudan is a compulsory social insurance scheme for employees and dependents of formal sector workers. It has been in existence since 1995. However, the scheme still faces many challenges, particularly in the area of population coverage. A recent study, titled “Challenges to the implementation of social health insurance in Sudan”, revealed that low coverage, lack of financing, and a lack of awareness among the population, all affect the sustainability of the scheme. In order to improve the health care system, it is crucial to understand the role of the SHI and identify potential solutions to strengthen it.
leading sudanese insurance company
To investigate the challenges of SHI in Sudan, a qualitative study was conducted. Surveys were done with key executives of different types of insurance institutions in Sudan. This was a two-pronged study aimed at assessing the perspective of service providers, the enrolment system, and the quality of services. All interviewees were asked to sign a written informed consent.
Data were collected from September to October of 2021. Interviews were conducted in the English language. Participants were selected from five private health insurance companies. During the interviews, socioeconomic data were collected, and participants were asked to describe their perception of the quality of services. They were then provided with an information sheet about the study.
Challenges to the Implementation of Social Health Insurance in Sudan
The sample consisted of a convenient sample of key executives from various health insurers in Sudan. Each participant was interviewed for an average of 45 to 60 minutes. These interviews were conducted by a single investigator in order to ensure consistency.
best insurance company in sudan
The aim of the study was to assess the perception of service providers on the healthcare benefits packages offered by SHI. To this end, the authors used a structured interview questionnaire to collect utilization data. Specifically, the study focused on the determinants of voluntary out-of-network physician visit utilization.
Compared to the SHI, the Private Health Insurance (PHI) is more expensive and does not have the same level of coverage. For example, NHIF clients are not covered for expensive medical services such as dentistry and eye surgeries. Additionally, the PHI does not have essential generic drug policies.
Several factors were identified as contributing to the high utilization of out-of-network physicians. These include the lack of a gatekeeping process, and the high cost of healthcare. The cost of health services in Sudan is rising. There are also differences in the coverage and access of the health insurance schemes, especially between rural and urban areas. As a result, the beneficiaries perceive the waiting time for care at NHIF clinics to be very long.
One challenge to the success of Social Health Insurance is the recruitment of the informal sector. Another is the cost of achieving universal coverage. Finally, there are concerns about the quality of the healthcare facilities.
Overall, the quality of the service is considered to be satisfactory by the service providers. While the beneficiaries perceive the services to be comprehensive, they do not believe that they are affordable.