Tanzania’s NHIF registers over 276,000 for health insurance
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The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) in Tanzania completed registering 276,004 households targeted by the government for health insurance coverage, paving the way for the second phase of the national health insurance program.
The registrations give eligible citizens access to 372 benefits under the “Health Insurance for All” scheme, which now includes rehabilitative care.
NHIF director David Mwenesano announced that all households designated by the government have been fully registered and received their identification cards, though some members have yet to collect them. Beyond these households, NHIF also registered 235 elderly citizens and children living in specialized homes, who are now receiving care at health facilities ranging from dispensaries to district hospitals starting in March of this year.
The fund is also improving its digital systems to connect various institutions, streamlining member identification and verification when they seek care. These systems link NHIF with the National Identification Authority, the Medical Council of Tanganyika, and over 10,000 health facilities, allowing for biometric data verification and information sharing. Health stakeholders are advocating for greater inclusion of rehabilitative care in health planning and budgets, noting that timely access to these services can reduce costs for families, insurers, and the government.
Assemble Insurance executive Tabia Massudi urged the government to allocate specific funds for rehabilitative care within the national budget, while a WHO representative, Dr. January Zilabumba, warned that excluding rehabilitative care from health packages may simply shift costs elsewhere.
