What is Universal Health Insurance?

Between your family and friends, you are very likely to find those that use medical insurance provided to them through their jobs, others who are provided treatment at the government's expense, and those who receive medical treatment at their own expense and so on. As illnesses usually tend to appear unexpectedly, we cannot always afford the medical treatment expenses. As a result, the government has made things easier on us by creating and implementing a ‘Universal Health Insurance’ project that helps all Egyptians get treatment at a small cost.

This is a project which the Egyptian government founded in the second quarter of 2019. It is a social solidarity program aimed at providing high-quality health services to all groups of society; the government also pays all the costs of treatment for those unable to do so.

The project’s official Facebook Page is Universal Health Insurance.

This project's overall cost is about 80 to 120 billion EGP, and it will be applied in all governorates of Egypt within the next 15 years as of 2019. Port Said was the first governorate in which the trial operation of this insurance system was applied, and for two months, they succeeded in that 3,693 surgeries were performed, saving dozens of lives and helping those in need. Following this, the Governate of Ismailia registered and provided coverage for 900,000 of its residents, approximately 66% of the Ismailia Governorate's total population. This took place from October 2019 until September 2020.

The government pays all the costs of treatment for those unable to do so.

What are its benefits?

• Each citizen will have a personal medical file left with the family doctor, which includes his/her medical history, that way there can be continuous follow-ups with his/her doctor, if necessary.
• The patient will contribute to his treatment with a small percentage, a maximum of 5% for operations and 10% for X-rays and analyses/tests.
• Participation in the Universal Health Insurance scheme is compulsory for all Egyptians.

What do you need to do to benefit from Universal Health Insurance?

You must be subscribed to a health insurance plan and pay all premiums on time. If you are unable to do so, the service will stop, except in cases of emergency.