During a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame on January 17, 2025, the government approved the inclusion of 14 advanced medical services, including cancer treatment, in the CBHI package.
Minister of Health Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana outlined on Saturday that services to be covered include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, kidney transplants, interventional cardiology, minimally invasive surgery, and hip and knee replacements.
The addition of new services to the scheme aims to ease the financial burden on patients and families struggling with the high costs of essential treatments. All the new services are expected to be fully integrated into the CBHI, which currently covers 92% of Rwandans, by June.
"By June 2025, all the 14 services will be fully integrated into the scheme," Dr. Nsanzimana affirmed.
Mutuelle de Santé has been covering 90% of medical expenses, but chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer are excluded, leaving patients to bear the full cost, with treatments often running into millions of Rwandan francs.
The government's decision to include cancer treatment under CBHI is expected to transform access to healthcare for thousands of families across the country. This expansion reflects Rwanda's continued investment in its health sector, with improved infrastructure and advanced medical equipment enabling high-quality treatments.
In tandem with the expanded CBHI package, the Cabinet also approved a revision of health service tariffs, which were last updated in 2017.
Dr. Nsanzimana explained that outdated tariffs no longer reflected the actual costs of healthcare services. The revised tariffs ensure affordability for advanced treatments while maintaining government subsidies for essential services.
Under the new tariff structure, the cost of a CT brain scan for CBHI beneficiaries has dropped from RWF 45,000 to RWF 16,283, with a co-payment of just RWF 1,628.
Similarly, for a normal delivery at a public health facility, a CBHI beneficiary will now pay RWF 1,126, up slightly from RWF 926, while insurance covers RWF 11,261 of the cost.
The changes also include tailored rates for private insurance holders, East African citizens, and international clients, ensuring a comprehensive and equitable tariff system.
As part of the reforms, the government has committed to reviewing health service tariffs every two years to ensure they remain aligned with economic realities and healthcare advancements.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
