Protect Your Future: Why Reflecting on Health Insurance Matters
Employers and workers gathered around the actors of the social protection ecosystem in Benin discussed health insurance, Tuesday November 5, 2024. This is within the framework of a breakfast round table organized by the Council of private investors in Benin (CIPB) in collaboration with the Chamber Benin Commerce and Industry (CCI Benin).
“Health insurance: a key issue for employee health and business performance”. This is the theme of the reflections held on Tuesday November 5, 2024 in the conference room of the CCI Benin. 4 hours of discussions mixed with breaks around local dishes that allowed actors in the social protection ecosystem in Benin to present solutions to employers for taking care of the health of their employees.
The round table has been arranged because health insurance has not yet been defined although insurance is compulsory for the employer. Better health insurance coverage and arrangements exist in Benin. “We invited many structures from the insurance ecosystem (…); the National Agency for Social Protection (ANPS); the CNSS; Insurers; Guild of Physicians; The Guild of Pharmacists, Opticians… almost all the providers we value in the health chain and health professionals so everyone can come here and explain to us,” said Léopold ADJAKPA-ABILE, Executive Director of the Council of Private Investors in Benin (CIPB) when opening the meeting.
For the CIPB, social protection is a factor that determines a company’s productivity.
“We are sure that without health, without health protection, we cannot develop, we cannot work,” said the ED.
Health insurance models in major countries such as the United States, France and Spain were presented to participants by François MASSON, Insurance Broker and Resource Person on the government project ARCH (Insurance for Strengthening Human Capital). The first communication took stock of the situation in Benin. “Private health insurance in Benin represents about 30 million US dollars in turnover, 40% of the turnover of property and casualty policyholders AND 160,000 policyholders, or 1.2% of the population,” according to the correspondent and the main insurers noted.
The panel was then given space on ‘implementation and erroneous perceptions of health insurance for responsible use of the health insurance offer in the private sector”.
The panel was moderated by Théodore GNANSOUNOU, Insurance Broker; Jacques AkanNI, Specialist in social protection at the ILO, President of ACAB; Wahydi CHOUBADE, Insurance Administrator, Corporate Brokerage Manager at SUNU and François MASSON.
In terms of implementation, we remember that health insurance is a temporary premium, which once paid, guarantees access to care. But beneficiaries mistakenly think that it covers all pathologies and that it can be used by third parties. “We need to make employees aware that this is not a fund that can be expanded,” said Théodore GNANSOUNOU, Insurance Broker. Jacques AKANNI believes that we need to change perceptions of the concept of “mutual” that controls health insurance, and think about moving towards an accumulation of subscribers.
The themes: ”Optimizing reimbursement processes and mapping fraud and sanctions”; ‘Health insurance challenges for Company” are developed in panels 2 and 3.
“It’s a very rich morning,” concluded Roland Riboux, President of the Council of Private Investors in Benin (CIPB). Reflections must focus on other more important issues including prevention, nutrition at birth to have healthy people, a health insurance system adapted to the reality of each country and which takes into account the sustainability of businesses, suggested the president of the CIPB.
The conclusions and recommendations from the round table will be recorded in a document.
MM
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November 6, 2024 by ,