Egypt’s cabinet approves automatic registration for universal health insurance

Egypt’s cabinet on Wednesday approved a decision to automatically register vulnerable citizens in the country’s universal health insurance system, removing the need for them to take any action to benefit from the services.

The automatic registration mechanism will apply to groups defined as “unable to pay” in a 2023 prime ministerial decree, based on the databases of cash and social support programmes maintained by the Ministry of Social Solidarity.

“The automatic registration mechanism aims to extend the umbrella of universal health insurance to cover these groups without burdening them with any procedures on their part to enjoy these health benefits and services,” Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said in a statement.

The Ministry of Social Solidarity will be required to periodically provide updated data on these groups to the General Authority for Universal Health Insurance. The two bodies will establish rules and mechanisms to ensure the integration and continuous updating of their databases.

The number of beneficiaries in the first phase of the universal health insurance system whose contributions are covered by the state budget is about 905,000 citizens, out of a total of 5.13 million registered in that phase, representing about 17.6%.