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New Health Insurance Law for Female

New Health Insurance Law for Female Heads of Households
One of the few new laws that have been issued by the (now dissolved) Parliament – new in the sense that it is not a mere amendment of an already issued law – is the Law for Health Insurance for Female Heads of Households (the “Law”), which extends the umbrella of health insurance over females that are the heads of households.[1] Here are its key provisions.
The Beneficiaries from the Law
Beneficiaries from the new Law are women who are:
  1. Responsible for [their] own or [their] family’s maintenance;
  2. Not beneficiaries of another health insurance system; and
  3. Resident in Egypt.
What the Insurance Covers
The new Law provides the female heads of households with all health services in the cases of sickness and accidents. The General Authority for Health Insurance is the provider of the services in accordance with a decision to be issued by the Ministry of Health, and the Treasury covers the gap for treatments that are pertaining to special cases (such as liver transplants).
The Funding
The new Law states that the new insurance is funded as follows:
  1. A contribution by the female head of household equal to 1% of her annual income, with a minimum of 12 pounds annually.
  2. A contribution by the Treasury equal to two hundred pounds per annum for each beneficiary.
  3. Gifts, grants and contributions.
A special account for this insurance is to be set up by the General Authority for Health Insurance, and the whole system shall be reviewed – from an actuarial dimension – every three years.
Conclusion
The new Law is an important contribution to the social welfare structure in Egypt, especially that it deals with one of the neediest categories. However, the Law seems to be providing insufficient funding and has little implementation provisions. It may be a good step forward but will require additional executive rules in order to be effective.   [1] Law No. 23/2012 on Health Insurance for Female Heads of Households, Official Gazette, Issue No. 22 (cont.), 31 May 2012.
One of the few new laws that have been issued by the (now dissolved) Parliament – new in the sense that it is not a mere amendment of an already issued law – is the Law for Health Insurance for Female Heads of Households (the “Law”), which extends the umbrella of health insurance over females that are the heads of households.[1] Here are its key provisions.
The Beneficiaries from the Law
Beneficiaries from the new Law are women who are:
  1. Responsible for [their] own or [their] family’s maintenance;
  2. Not beneficiaries of another health insurance system; and
  3. Resident in Egypt.
What the Insurance Covers
The new Law provides the female heads of households with all health services in the cases of sickness and accidents. The General Authority for Health Insurance is the provider of the services in accordance with a decision to be issued by the Ministry of Health, and the Treasury covers the gap for treatments that are pertaining to special cases (such as liver transplants).
The Funding
The new Law states that the new insurance is funded as follows:
  1. A contribution by the female head of household equal to 1% of her annual income, with a minimum of 12 pounds annually.
  2. A contribution by the Treasury equal to two hundred pounds per annum for each beneficiary.
  3. Gifts, grants and contributions.
A special account for this insurance is to be set up by the General Authority for Health Insurance, and the whole system shall be reviewed – from an actuarial dimension – every three years.
Conclusion
The new Law is an important contribution to the social welfare structure in Egypt, especially that it deals with one of the neediest categories. However, the Law seems to be providing insufficient funding and has little implementation provisions. It may be a good step forward but will require additional executive rules in order to be effective.   [1] Law No. 23/2012 on Health Insurance for Female Heads of Households, Official Gazette, Issue No. 22 (cont.), 31 May 2012.