Lebanese hospitals to raise coverage ceiling in September

Caretaker Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad announced on Wednesday new decisions on increasing medical coverage for patients treated at his ministry's expense, as well as caps on hospitals and fees for doctors treating these patients. The decisions, which cover some 50 new medical procedures, will begin in September, according to the minister, while coverage for equipment for heart operations will begin in October.

This increase in the ceiling of coverage for patients at the expense of the ministry was announced by Abiad during a press conference in his office. He explained that these measures were made possible by the increase in the ministry's budget in the field of hospitalizations, which will be reflected in the coverage of patients, which has recovered 80 percent of its value before the economic crisis. The same goes for hospital ceilings. "This has significantly improved patients' access to care," he stressed.

The medical sector in Lebanon has suffered greatly from the economic and financial crisis that began in 2019. The devaluation of the national currency, which lost more than 90 percent of its value, has strongly impacted access to healthcare for the poorest.

Traditionally in Lebanon, the Ministry of Health covers patients who have no other medical coverage, neither private nor through a third-party payer such as the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

Twinning between government and private hospitals

There are still several challenges, according to Abiad, including the demands of hospitals and doctors regarding the speed of payment of their dues, knowing that several large hospitals, especially private ones, have canceled the ceilings reserved for patients treated at the ministry's expense. A resolution of these problems would facilitate access to services, he specified.

"The ministry has managed to develop a series of solutions to these problems that will make a difference at the level of patients," he said, emphasizing coordination with private unions.

Among these measures, is the digitalization of hospital and doctor invoices, which will give the ministry the opportunity to speed up the control of these invoices before their transfer to the finance department. In this regard, the minister specified that hospital invoices for the year 2023 have been paid up to 98 percent. "The ministry takes seriously its commitment to pay its invoices from now on within three to four months," he assured.

Mr. Abiad also mentioned an increase in coverage in second-tier hospitals, as well as for doctors' fees. "We have responded to one of the main demands of doctors, to cut short the pretexts of asking for surpluses from patients," he said.

Starting in October, the ministry will begin covering medical equipment for heart patients, including cardiac catheterization and valve surgeries, a crucial step for Lebanese patients, he said.

Abiad also mentioned twinning projects between government hospitals and university hospitals intending to develop specialized services in the former.

"The ministry is working seriously to ensure that services in government hospitals are comparable to those in private hospitals," he stressed.

The Minister of Health finally asked all those affected by these measures, in particular hospitals and doctors, to respect these decisions, under penalty of criminal prosecution.

This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.