Luxor4u

Egypt is about to offer all of its citizens health insurance for the first time in the North African country’s history. Prime Minister Sherif Ismail approved on Wednesday a new comprehensive health insurance bill after meeting with the Minister of Health, Ahmed Emad, to review final details of the law.

The new health care program will cost L.E. 140 billion Egyptian pounds ($8 billion) and will be implemented gradually across the country between 2018 and 2032, starting with the cities of Port Said and Suez, and ending with expansion to Cairo and Giza.

Subscription to the universal policy will be mandatory and will cost, depending on income, between 1,300 pounds ($74) and 4,000 ($227) pounds annually. The government has committed to provide the policy free of charge to those citizens who cannot afford it— an estimated 23.7 million Egyptians (approximately 25% of the population).

The current insurance system’s subscription cost just 112 pounds ($6), but only covered 58% of the population and was plagued by low quality, minimal care and negligence among its hospitals. Only 6% of those covered by the insurance policy, actually utilized its services, and the vast majority of health care expenditure came out of the pockets of Egyptians seeking treatment.

Egypt’s Minister of Health promised Monday that the new system would eliminate the soaring prices of medical services in the private medical sector, as the policy would attempt to adjust market prices. If compliant to certain regulations, all private hospitals will be allowed to enter the program, in addition to government, military and police hospitals.

Dozens of professional syndicates have voiced their opposition to the bill, fearing that the new bill, by allowing private companies to negotiate with the government, will push up healthcare costs. The government has moved to dispel these fears by promising that private hospitals will have to comply with the prices that the government sets.

Six years in the making, the bill was drafted by a committee of 22 health insurance officials, bankers and academic physicians, before it was referred to the government. It is now set to be introduced to Parliament where it is expected to pass with little opposition and replace the current system, which has been in place since the early sixties.

Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/eg ... 0ade1b5777

Shades of Obama Care methinks

Health Care Insurance will demand proper healthcare, proper medical equipment, paramedic's, real nursing and after care. Cannot see it being rolled out for years, the economy will not support it.

If there was a 100% tax on smoking tobacco it would help in two ways as has been shown in the U.K.

It will take time, but it would improve health and give financial support.

The other thing is to concentrate getting the kids to understand just how dangerous and expensive smoking is as few can afford to burn money in Egypt.

I am an ex smoker and burned thousands of pounds in my time, of which I am very ashamed. I also watched husband number one die from emphysema and then number two ruin his health in the same way.

We are ex smokers too, but think smokers need to carry on or quit its up to them to take on board what smoking does. Even with 100% tax it will not stop people smoking, it didn't people in the UK, stood in the rain and freezing cold maybe stopped many because they could not smoke indoors. I do find though the subject of Universal Health Care in Egypt to be slightly funny because there are still many Europeans flying home for treatment unhappy with the healthcare as it stands now. (Or the lack of Healthcare) Surly if healthcare was anything like decent they would not be going home for treatment. I did not mind going to have my sugar levels or blood pressure measured but anything else would have been a NO NO!!! even more so now in the economic climate, where medical machines keep breaking down, equipment is lacking, ambulances and their staff are not either equipped or properly trained. Scrapping up and shoving people into ambulances can in many respects cause more problems for patients, what about the 3 x B's. Another thing would be the noise of people gassing outside wards or sat down eating while visiting patients, or creating obstacles for visitors to jump or climb over. The last time I visited LIH it was a free for all and the noise deafening. Just no control.

Even with 100% tax it will not stop people smoking, it didn't people in the UK, stood in the rain and freezing cold maybe stopped many because they could not smoke indoors.

Just shows how out of touch you are, there are now just 7.2 million adults in England who smoke. They are far outnumbered by 14.6 million ex-smokers. It is the first time that under 17% of the population are smokers and is down from the 19.3% seen as recently as 2012 and these are from 2015 figures.

Major Thom wrote:We are ex smokers too, but think smokers need to carry on or quit its up to them to take on board what smoking does. Even with 100% tax it will not stop people smoking, it didn't people in the UK, stood in the rain and freezing cold maybe stopped many because they could not smoke indoors. I do find though the subject of Universal Health Care in Egypt to be slightly funny because there are still many Europeans flying home for treatment unhappy with the healthcare as it stands now. (Or the lack of Healthcare) Surly if healthcare was anything like decent they would not be going home for treatment. I did not mind going to have my sugar levels or blood pressure measured but anything else would have been a NO NO!!! even more so now in the economic climate, where medical machines keep breaking down, equipment is lacking, ambulances and their staff are not either equipped or properly trained. Scrapping up and shoving people into ambulances can in many respects cause more problems for patients, what about the 3 x B's. Another thing would be the noise of people gassing outside wards or sat down eating while visiting patients, or creating obstacles for visitors to jump or climb over. The last time I visited LIH it was a free for all and the noise deafening. Just no control.

Well MT, what about the 3 x B's? I have no idea as I don't know what they are - can anyone else help?

If he meant the 3 B's of first aid .....Breathing, Bleeding, Bones.

Then again, it may be a typo and he meant the 3 P's.....Preserve (life), Prevent (further harm), Promote (recovery)

Who knows? Who cares?

Give me a break Newcastle, he's mentioned something new and I have no idea what he means - this is an unexpected novelty.

Remember us members of the hoy palloi on here have nothing to entertain us in MT's opinion. Let me have a little entertainment in discovering the Secret of The Three B's I beg you.

Mad Dilys wrote:Give me a break Newcastle, he's mentioned something new and I have no idea what he means - this is an unexpected novelty.

Remember us members of the hoy palloi on here have nothing to entertain us in MT's opinion. Let me have a little entertainment in discovering the Secret of The Three B's I beg you.

Well ....you did ask for help.

I've just thought....he may have been referring to some obscure tribute band currently touring Cyprus.

Definitely not the classical music trio....Bach, Beethoven & Berlioz.

Or he's been broadening his viewing by purchasing a DVD of the 1999 film "Love Stinks" It contains a memorable definition of the three B's....Back rub, Bl*w job and Breakfast in bed