We took part in the Medical Service Providers Breakfast Meeting at Fairway Hotel organised by the Uganda Healthcare Federation & UIA. The objective of the meeting was to discuss issues pertinent to Health Insurance based on the Medical Actuarial Study Report, and to forge a way forward for the benefit of both the insurers & medical service providers.
Mr. Ambrose Kibuuka, the CEO of ICEA Lion General Insurance represented the UIA Chairman & highlighted the need for underwriters & medical service providers to work in cohesion for their mutual benefit. “This meeting is a sign of commitment & goodwill towards the growth of medical insurance in Uganda”. He noted that medical insurance has grown steady in the past 3 years from UGX 243 Billion in Gross Written Premiums in 2020, UGX 276 Billion in 2021 to UGX 321 Billion in 2023. However, it remains the class of insurance with the highest gross pay-outs: UGX 196 Billion in 2020, 224 Billion in 2021 & 269 Billion in 2022, a trend that poses a sustainability threat to the medical insurance business. He however urged the players to remain positive whilst working on solutions to ensure the continuity of the business. He also noted that initiatives like these are key for information-sharing, sensitization and can serve as launch pads for innovation in the medical insurance space.
Mr. Kibuuka on behalf of the UIA revealed that a Medical Symposium will take place in July 2024 to discuss aspects pertinent to medical insurance including but not limited to challenges faced, gaps, and opportunities in the new era of innovation, evidence-informed medical care, policy formulation, national medical insurance initiatives, and actionable solutions for implementation through UIA, Uganda Medical Association and other stakeholders. He added that this will also be an opportunity for players to launch products & platforms.
The Medical Insurance Committee Chairman, Mr. Dan Musiime echoed the need for medical insurers and service providers to move in the same direction, commit to resolving issues as they come for the mutual benefit of the businesses and the customers. “We are here to interact and share the medical insurance actuarial report from a medical insurance study.” This study was commissioned by medical insurers and the resulting report was already disseminated to the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), insurance brokers, reinsurers with the customers slated to receive it next. Mr. Musiime offered some insights from the report, urging the players to internalise it and forge a way forward together. “We are looking forward to feedback from the service providers on how to best fulfil our mandates, improve our offerings & thrive better.”
The Executive Director Uganda Healthcare Federation, Ms. Grace Ssali Kiwanuka underscored the growth in the health sector and its ability to overcome challenges while also re-emphasizing some of the queries in the Medical Actuarial Study report. She called for more frequent engagements revolving around the operational concerns of health insurance. She lauded UIA for being at the forefront of organizing such fruitful conversations and urged high value facilities to actively come on board for this mutual cause.
At the breakfast meeting, Mr. Ernest Barusya Magezi from Kenbright Actuarial & Financial Services presented the medical actuarial study report, the General Manager C-Care – Mr. Andrew Mugalu made a presentation on behalf of the medical service providers highlighting the high cost of running a healthcare facility in Uganda. The Executive Director ABOVAX, South Africa - Mr. Irumba Charles presented a proposal on providing borderless healthcare for Africans by Africans and sought partners from Uganda’s Medical & Insurance fraternity. We also had a presentation on a new technology called S+ eHealth Platform by Mr. Nico Christofi, CEO of Signalytic. S+ eHealth is a solar-powered box that could benefit the health sector by bringing data to and from the most remote health facilities.
The attendance largely comprised healthcare providers under the Uganda Health Care Federation & medical insurers under Uganda Insurers Association.
