Intensive meetings to activate corrective paths in the guarantee

The Directorate of Public Relations at the National Social Security Fund announced in a statement that, “After announcing the approval of lump-sum surgeries for hospital coverage and the contribution of the National Social Security Fund at 45 percent of its price determined by the Security Administration and starting to implement it as of April 1, 2024, and in light of this Qualitative transformation in the Fund’s hospital contributions. The Director General of Insurance, Dr. Muhammad Karaki, formed a committee of experts, including directors, heads of departments, and doctors in the insurance, in addition to representatives of the Ministry of Public Health, Military Medicine, and the Private Hospital Owners Syndicate, to follow up on the application, improvement, and development of these limited surgical procedures.”

Karaki chaired the first meeting, which he began by defining the following three goals:

1- Establishing the necessary controls for the proper implementation of the treatment of hospital transactions in accordance with the lump-sum surgical procedures system determined by the Fund’s Board of Directors and approved by the Ministry of Labor.

2 – Merging similar works under unified symbols, withdrawing unnecessary or urgent works of a cosmetic nature, for example, and reducing the approved list if possible, similar to what the Ministry of Public Health did.

3 – Study and set prices in a logical and objective manner for all parties: hospitals, guarantees and insureds, so that the Fund’s coverage rate currently exceeds 80% of what was applied by other guarantors, according to its financial capabilities and the funding sources it obtained.

He called on “the state to treat the fund like other governmental guarantor bodies, as it is unacceptable for the institution that provides health coverage for about a third of the Lebanese people to provide 3 thousand billion LBP.” While other institutions were given (14 billion LBP to the State Employees Cooperative and 40 billion LBP to the Ministry of Public Health).”

He affirmed his intention “to return the Fund’s contributions to what they were, successively, and the next step after dialysis and increasing medical, hospital, and drug tariffs will be to raise the Fund’s contribution to the closed surgical work between 70% and 90% (the previous contribution before the crisis).”

He also promised to “consider doubling medical examinations, supplies, and medical implants in light of starting to implement an increase in the official minimum wage, which has become 18 million LBP.” “This will secure additional financial resources that will be used, as usual, to improve health services in the Fund.”

On the other hand, Karki received in his office a large delegation from the Union of Educational Institutions in the presence of the Secretary General of Catholic Schools, Father Youssef Nasr, and the Head of the Teachers Syndicate, Mr. Neama Mahfoud. The attendees presented to the Director General the most prominent problems they are suffering from, especially in terms of subscriptions for individuals, educational staff, and employees working in private schools. Especially in light of the increase in the minimum wage, also in terms of amending the series of ranks and salaries, which is considered unfair to them and their efforts, and which needs a law to amend it.

Karaki pledged to “take all necessary measures and procedures to restore the role of the guarantee as a safety valve for the insured and a comprehensive national institution that protects their rights, safeguards the right to a decent living, and overcomes all obstacles and difficulties facing educational institutions and their workers.”