Pharmacy Costs Consume Over 60 Percent of Aasandha Health Insurance Budget

Pharmacy expenses consistently account for the largest portion of the Aasandha budget, with medication costs consuming over 60 percent of the scheme's resources last year. Aminath Zeeniya, the Managing Director of Aasandha Company Limited, revealed these figures during an appearance on Public Service Media's 'Raajje Miadhu' programme. According to Zeeniya, Aasandha's financial structure is designed to facilitate payments exclusively to the private sector. This includes disbursements to private clinics, domestic hospitals, and international medical facilities, while no payments are made to the government health sector. To ensure Maldivians have access to specialized care abroad, Aasandha has established partnerships with 57 foreign medical institutions across India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. Zeeniya noted that India hosts the majority of these partners. These agreements are only finalized after a rigorous vetting process that evaluates the quality of multi-specialty services, the availability of state-of-the-art technology, and the affordability of comprehensive package rates. Financial data for the current fiscal year shows a steady increase in health insurance utilization. The state has appropriated USD 131 million for Aasandha schemes this year. As of July 16, expenditures reached USD 76.52 million, representing a 10.2 percent increase compared to the USD 69.39 million spent during the same period last year. While direct spending on healthcare services has accelerated, there has been a notable decline in medical welfare expenditures. Spending in this category dropped to USD 8.29 million by July 16, a 30.9 percent decrease from the USD 12.02 million recorded previously. The government has allocated a total budget of USD 26.52 million for these welfare services.