'Increase in radiation therapy fees for cancer treatment,' NSSF director says

General Director of the National Social Security Fund Mohammad Karky outlined recent reforms in response to Lebanon's financial crisis, including an increase in radiation therapy fees for cancer treatment and ongoing efforts with the Wage Indexation Committee to raise salaries, the state-run National News Agency reported Tuesday.

Karky reviewed the “most important measures and steps taken to address the effects of the financial crisis.”

These corrective steps included the three branches of the Fund: Health and Maternity Insurance, Family Allowances and End-of-Service Benefits.

"Regarding Health and Maternity Insurance, the coverage for hospital bills, both for inpatient and outpatient services (medical care), has reached nearly 90 percent. The pharmaceutical coverage will soon return to 80 percent, 90 percent, or 95 percent for all medications registered with the Ministry of Public Health, unlike the current situation which only covers cancer, critical, and chronic medications. Additionally, many increases have been applied to doctor consultation fees, dialysis session fees, and more."

Karaky said that “as part of the ongoing reform workshop program launched by Dr. Karky, and based on the Board of Directors’ decision No. 1385 dated 11/4/2025 and its ratification by the supervisory authority under decision 32/1 dated 14/4/2025, the Director-General of the Fund issued a media memorandum on 15/4/2025, numbered 788. This memorandum amended the radiation therapy fees for cancer treatment, as follows: LL 200 million for 3D Therapy, LL 270 million for IMRT The current system for radiation therapy coverage will be based on the number of sessions, full payment will be made if half or more of the sessions are completed, and half payment will be made if fewer than half of the sessions are completed."

Regarding Family Allowances, Karky announced that the Board of Directors, through a decree at the end of last week, approved an increase in family allowances, which will now be as follows: LL 1,200,000 for a spouse and LL 660,000 for each child.”

The statement added: "As for the End-of-Service Benefits branch, it remains one of the Director-General’s top priorities, as it is a project to provide justice for those insured who will reach the legal retirement age in the near future. This will be achieved through efforts to increase wages and the official minimum wage via the recently reactivated Wage Indexation Committee by the Minister of Labor."

The NSSF, in collaboration with the Minister of Labor and the government, are working to approve the executive decrees for the Pension and Social Protection Law, "which will provide a lifetime pension, ensuring a decent and dignified life for retirees in Lebanon," Karaky said.