MPs raise concerns over health insurance; to meet Allied

The General Committee of the People's Majlis has decided to meet with Allied Insurance after members of Parliament raised concerns over difficulties in accessing medical treatment under the parliamentary health insurance scheme.

The decision was made during Tuesday's committee meeting under the "Other Matters" agenda.

The issue was raised by Feydhoo Dhekunuu MP Ibrahim Didi, who said members had encountered difficulties in obtaining treatment both in the Maldives and overseas.

Ibrahim Didi noted that parliamentary health insurance had previously been provided by Allied Insurance but is currently managed by Amana Takaful.

He said the committee should assess whether the change in providers had resulted in any improvements and identify any issues requiring attention.

"If honourable members have noticed any changes or improvements since transitioning from Allied to Amana Takaful, I would like us to discuss it in the committee. Otherwise, after consulting with them, if there are areas requiring amendment, I want us to discuss and rectify those issues," he said.

He also called on the committee to address the difficulties faced by MPs when seeking treatment through the insurance scheme, although he did not specify the nature of those issues.

Ibrahim Didi further said the committee should clarify whether any changes had been made to the network of healthcare providers available under the insurance scheme.

Committee Chair Mohamed Shahid, MP for Hulhudhoo, said an international tender is opened each year to select the health insurance provider for MPs, with contracts typically awarded for one year.

He noted that Allied Insurance and Amana Takaful have been the only companies to submit bids for the contract in recent years.

"No other entity has expressed interest to date. In my view, the reason might be that our insurance package is too small for them. Because the premium amount paid is low, perhaps other companies cannot afford to bid," Shahid said.

He also said there were misconceptions among the public regarding the health insurance provided to MPs.

"Most of the public believes members can seek unlimited medical treatment wherever they wish. That is incorrect information. We too have coverage limits," Shahid said.

He added that claims suggesting MPs receive unlimited treatment overseas were inaccurate and said the coverage provided is broadly comparable to services available through Aasandha, both locally and abroad.

Following Shahid's remarks, committee members continued discussions with their microphones switched off, making the remainder of the conversation inaudible on the live broadcast.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the committee agreed to invite representatives of Allied Insurance to its next sitting to discuss the issues raised by members.