The Egyptian cabinet has approved the automatic enrolment of the country's vulnerable citizens into the state-run universal health insurance system.
According to Daily News Egypt, this scheme will cover the groups classified as “Unable to pay” under a 2023 prime ministerial decree.
The new regulation would use data from the Ministry of Social Solidarity’s cash and social support programmes and this would obviate the need for individuals to apply manually.
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the measure aims to extend health coverage without burdening citizens with any procedures to access benefits and services.
The Ministry of Social Solidarity will regularly update and share beneficiary data with the General Authority for Universal Health Insurance, with both bodies coordinating on integration and continuous updates.
In the first phase of the universal health insurance rollout, the state budget currently covers contributions for about 905,000 citizens, 17.6% of the 5.13m registered.