Madhana- the Maldives National Health Insurance Scheme;

T he unique geography of Maldives, along with high dependence on imports and expatriate manpower, has meant that health services come at substantially higher costs than other countries in the region. In response, the country has undertaken several reforms in recent years to tbe way in which health is financed. Two of these prominent measures include the creation of seven health service corporations (defined by geographical area of operation) to manage the health facilities earl ier directly managed by the Min istry ofHea ltb and Fami ly (MOHF), and the introduction of national health insurancescbemes (Madhana, and its variants "Madhana Plus" and "Madhana Basic"). The govel1lment has experienced several challenges as it bas embarked upon the implementation of these initiatives, and has a~·eady made several mid-coLLrse corrections in the Madhana scbeme. The World Bank has begun to engage with the Government to help ensure these initiatives achieve their desired impact This note is an input to that technical engagement, proposing some po licy options for consideration.