Government decides to scrap full Aasandha coverage for individuals earning over MVR 60,000

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced a decision to discontinue full Aasandha coverage for all individuals earning a monthly salary or income of MVR 60,000 and above.

During a press conference held at the President's Office on Monday, President Muizzu announced that full Aasandha coverage will be discontinued starting next month for individuals earning a monthly income of MVR 60,000 or more. Highlighting that this measure would free up funds for other essential public services, the President noted that the move is expected to save the state MVR 287 million.

President Muizzu stated that, moving forward, these individuals will receive Aasandha coverage through a co-pay or pre-pay system. He further noted that high-income taxpayers and the wealthy should not be entitled to the same full Aasandha package provided to the general public.

Therefore, wealthy individuals and income tax payers should not receive all services free of charge in the same manner as the general public. Consequently, these changes will be implemented starting next month.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu

Following the announcement, President Muizzu stated that the Ministry of Finance would be releasing further details regarding the matter in the coming days.

An audit report released by the Auditor General’s Office has highlighted that expenditure on the national health insurance scheme, Aasandha, continues to escalate. The report warned that without effective management and oversight, these costs are projected to rise year-on-year.