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Health cover debt probed

Thursday March 21 2019
By RODRIGUE RWIRAHIRA

Law makers want the Auditor General Obadiah Biraro to submit a performance audit report on the community-based health insurance scheme Mutuelle de Sante, which owes hospitals Rwf25 billion.

The arrears have risen from Rwf13.5 billion in 2015, and while government had pledged to settle the amount not later than last year, the debt remains outstanding, affecting the provision of healthcare services in hospitals, health centres and pharmacies.

However, while speaking to the Budget and National Patrimony Committee last month, the Minister for Finance Dr Uzziel Ndagijimana said that government had channeled the money to relevant organs for disbursement to hospitals.

But a few days later Rwanda Today visited the Bugesera District Hospital which is among the affected facilities, and learnt that it was still owed Rwf300 million in arrears from 2015.

“There are two issues involved. First, like many other hospitals, Bugesera is claiming arrears from 2015; we had invoiced around Rwf400 million but government only paid Rwf100 million; Secondly, even after the Mutuelle scheme was handed to the Rwanda Social Security Board we still received late payments,” said the hospitals director, Dr William Rutagengwa.

“For example, we are yet to be paid the amount in our latest invoice of November last year, which has affected service delivery Legislators in the Budget and National Patrimony Committee also questioned whether health facilities would be able to continue with operations if government does not settle the arrears as soon as possible.

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“It is important that we know the latest on these arrears, especially if this money is yet to reach hospital accounts; and if so, where did it go? We need this information to prepare for the upcoming report on the execution of the current budget and to engage government on that of the next fiscal year,” said the committee’s chairperson, Omar Munyaneza.

The committee asked the Auditor General to submit a copy of the scheme’s performance to allow legislators ample time for scrutiny and compilation of recommendations before the next budget framework paper. Mr Biraro said that his office had completed the performance audit report and come up with new findings, and was putting final touches before submitting it to parliament for discussion.

He further pledged to look into the co-ordination mechanisms of related sectors like the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Local Government and the Rwanda Social Security Board, and assess challenges in the scheme like delays in billing and over-billing.

More than 80 per cent of Rwandans are members of the Mutuelle de Sante insurance scheme which offers various social categories. The scheme receives up to Rwf7,000 annually.

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