Committee to study extending MPs' health insurance benefits to public

Parliament's Finance Committee on Monday decided to examine whether health insurance benefits currently provided to members of Parliament and employees of certain state institutions could be extended to the wider public or revised under a common framework.

The decision follows a public petition calling for the abolition of the health insurance package provided to MPs, which attracted more than 7,000 signatures.

The petition was submitted to Parliament by a member of the public and subsequently referred to the Finance Committee for consideration.

During Monday's committee meeting, Hithadhoo Central MP Ahmed Azaan Marzooq of the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) proposed examining how health insurance benefits could be provided on an equitable basis.

His proposal was supported by Hulhumalé South MP Dr Ahmed Shamheed of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

The committee unanimously agreed to establish a subcommittee to study how health insurance coverage could be provided to everyone through a sustainable system.

Speaking at the meeting, Azaan said MPs received health insurance under legislation that also provided similar benefits to employees of several state institutions, including the courts, police, military and independent institutions.

He argued that removing health insurance benefits exclusively from MPs would not address the broader issue of unequal access to state-funded insurance.

"Rather than simply removing health insurance from members of Parliament, we need to address this issue in a more sustainable manner," Azaan said.

He acknowledged the concerns raised by the petitioners but said any changes should apply consistently across institutions.

"When members of the public submit a petition of this nature, we must recognise that there are concerns among the public," he said.

"However, if we are going to make changes, we should either remove these benefits from all the groups I mentioned or introduce changes that apply to everyone."

Azaan also questioned certain provisions of existing health insurance arrangements, including benefits that continue after employees retire from some institutions.

He said that, in certain cases, the parents of retired employees remained eligible for health insurance coverage for the rest of their lives.

Azaan argued that such arrangements were not equitable and should be reviewed.

He also said more than MVR 200 million was spent annually on health insurance coverage for police and military personnel under the existing arrangements.

Azaan noted that police officers, military personnel, judges and their spouses and children were also members of the general public.

He questioned why some citizens received insurance packages that were not available to others.

According to Azaan, the issue required a system that ensured equitable treatment rather than changes targeting a particular group.

He called for a review of the existing arrangements to identify a long-term solution that would provide health insurance benefits on a fair and sustainable basis.

The Finance Committee's decision means the matter will undergo further examination by a subcommittee before recommendations are presented.

No decision has been made to abolish MPs' health insurance benefits or extend the existing packages to the wider public.