The Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) has announced that it is conducting a study to introduce a new option for Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI/Mutuelle de Santé) members who wish to access services in a more convenient way. Under this plan, beneficiaries would be able to top up their contributions in exchange for premium services such as priority treatment.
This was revealed during a press briefing held on September 10, 2025.
Dr. Regis Hitimana, Head of Benefits at RSSB, explained that some patients may not have time to follow all the usual procedures required under the current Mutuelle system. For this reason, a new mechanism is being considered to allow them to pay extra and access services faster.
“We are working on a model of an upgraded CBHI (CBHI+), where people already enrolled in Mutuelle but who want to access the same benefits in a different way such as having a private room or seeing a doctor without first passing through a health center can do so,” said Dr. Hitimana.
“There are people who value their time and say, ‘I want to receive these services in this way.’”
He further clarified that even though such patients would receive special attention, the package would remain within the Mutuelle-approved benefits.
“It is the same list of services Mutuelle covers, but accessed more conveniently. These members would pay higher contributions than usual, and in return, we would provide what they request, based on our calculations,” he said, adding that the study is ongoing and results will be announced soon.
Alongside this planned scheme, RSSB is also working to improve service delivery by addressing the recurring problem of drug shortages in some health facilities.
“Shortages are more common in health centers than in hospitals, since hospitals usually have longer lists of medicines,” Dr. Hitimana noted.
“Normally, a health center without essential medicines would not even be allowed to operate.”
He emphasized that RSSB is collaborating with the Ministry of Health and Rwanda Medical Supply (RMS) to tackle the root causes of these shortages.
“One of the measures we are taking with RMS is identifying hospitals that often face shortages, and we are engaging them,” he explained.
“We are also bringing in private pharmaceutical operators to run hospital pharmacies. These companies are experienced in the medicine business and will be the ones held accountable for availability.”
According to Dr. Hitimana, RSSB has already partnered with two private operators who will soon begin piloting this approach in selected hospitals that have repeatedly struggled with medicine shortages.
