Illness to wellness: a comparative study on insurance scheme approaches in Saudi Arabia and Sudan, Dr. Abdelrahman Khalifa
Abdelrahman Khalifa, Bupa Arabia, KSA
Purpose: Private health insurance is growing in Sudan. The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) announced the ‘Road map to Universal Coverage’ goal in 2015, inferring political direction to increase the insured population. This paper aims to compare the different roles played by private insurance in chronic diseases care between Sudan and Saudi Arabia (SA).
Design/Approach: A descriptive comparative study of: Observations and process analysis of models used in SA private insurance; ‘Wellness Model’ and ‘Extended Care Model’. In-depth interviews and desk reviews exploring Sudanese private insurance approaches.
Findings: Primary results shows high focus from Sudanese schemes on illness management, compared to ‘healthcare partner’ vision in SA.
Originality: The paper illustrates gaps in the Sudanese vision regarding insurance roles, namely considering (Healthcare Partner) approach instead of (Health Services Buyer) approach. This is potentially important for increasing health coverage and insurance effectiveness.
Keywords: Health insurance; Healthcare; Public health; Chronic disease; Health innovation; Mobile health (mHealth)
Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Khalifa, A. (2016) ’Illness to Wellness: A Comparative Study on Insurance Scheme Approaches in Saudi Arabia and Sudan’, Int. J. Food, Nutrition and Public Health, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp.56-60.
