Universal Health Insurance Bill postponed by parliament
What you need to know:
- Speaker Dr Tulia Ackson announced in the Parliament this morning that the Bill will be returned to the Social Services and Community Development Committee for further consultations.
- The bill was presented to parliament in its eighth sitting which began in September, after being postponed for several years.
Dodoma. The Universal Health Insurance (UHI) Bill, which was to be discussed in parliament and complete all three stages of reading, on Friday November 11 has been postponed until the consultation between the Parliament and the government is completed.
The UHI Bill 2022, was for the first time tabled on September 24, this year and it was to be read for the second time on Friday November 11, and give the lawmakers opportunity to deliberate and pass.
Speaker Dr Tulia Ackson announced in the Parliament this morning that the Bill will be returned to the Social Services and Community Development Committee for further consultations.
The speaker said there are things that they have not agreed with the government, so the Bill was removed from Frida’s schedule of activities.
She said that in the list of activities of the Parliament there were documents to be tabled by the Minister of Health and the Social Services and Community Development Committee.
"This document will not be tabled today because the Parliament and the government are continuing with consultations on things that we have not agreed on yet," the Speaker told the lawmakers.
She added: Following comments from lawmakers and stakeholders—the bill will be returned to the Social Services and Community Development Committee for further consultations. It will be brought back after consultations.
However, she said that they are continuing with consultations on several issues that have been raised by members of parliament, various stakeholders who appeared in the committee and others.
The bill was presented to parliament in its eighth sitting which began in September, after being postponed for several years.
The Bill which was presented in the August House by the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly for the first reading also proposes moves to scrutinise private health service providers, including appointment of National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) authorities in boards of private hospitals to facilitate regulation.
Usually, when the Bill is presented for the first reading in Parliament, legislatures are not allowed to debate or issue any other proposed amendments, instead, it is subjected to sectoral parliamentary committees which invites stakeholders to air their views before the final draft is presented in parliament.
