Egypt: Talks underway on private insurers joining Universal Health Scheme
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | Apr 2026
Dr Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, Minister of Health and Population, has held discussions with Dr Mohamed Farid, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, on the development of the government’s Comprehensive Universal Health Insurance System (UHIS) and enhancing cooperation with the private sector to expand the scope of coverage.
The UHIS is a mandatory, family-based medical insurance system funded by premiums from employers, employees, and government subsidies for the vulnerable. The system is being implemented in six stages by governorate, beginning in 2023 and is scheduled to cover the whole country by 2032.
As of the end of 2025, the system has been launched in a few governorates including Port Said, Luxor, Ismailia, South Sinai, Suez and Aswan. There are 27 governorates in Egypt.
A Health Ministry spokesman, Mr Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, told the local media that the ministers addressed ways to enhance cooperation and coordination with insurance companies in providing coverage through the UHIS.
He pointed out that there is a cooperation protocol that brings together the FRA, the Universal Health Insurance Authority and the Insurers Federation of Egypt (IFE). M