Latest news with #socialinsurance
The Independent
14-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
UK ‘long overdue' a conversation about NHS funding, says Javid
Former chancellor Sir Sajid Javid has said that the UK is 'long overdue' a 'serious conversation with taxpayers about how we continue funding' the NHS, as he introduced a report that backs a shift towards a social insurance model. Sir Sajid, also a former health secretary, said the country 'cannot afford' to 'bury our heads in the sand' when it comes to how the UK pays for healthcare. His comments are part of the foreword for the PolicyExchange's report The NHS – A Suitable Case For Treatment. The centre-right thinktank suggests that 'better quality healthcare' could be delivered 'by moving from our present entirely socialised model to a hybrid model with a significant social insurance component'. They also advocate changes such as removing free prescriptions for over-60s, but the report says that 'under no circumstances' should the UK try to replicate the US model of healthcare. Introducing the paper, Sir Sajid described the NHS as 'one of our country's most treasured and beloved national institutions'. 'We've come to a crossroads. A serious conversation with taxpayers about how we continue funding their favourite national institution is long overdue,' he said. He said that the UK is left with the options of putting more money into healthcare through tax rises or 'reforming' the system. 'What we cannot afford to do is to bury our heads in the sand,' he added. 'The responsible politician, the one who is concerned with the national interest, must look at every option for reform,' Sir Sajid said. The PolicyExchange report says that 'under no circumstances should the UK consider moving towards the US model', but that other countries 'with some sort of insurance-based model do much better' such as France, Germany and Singapore. 'We believe that better quality healthcare with universal coverage and improved long-term funding sustainability could be secured by moving from our present entirely socialised model to a hybrid model with a significant social insurance component,' the report says. Alongside a shift towards a 'social-insurance based system of financing healthcare', the thinktank made a number of recommendations for reforms that could be made within the existing NHS model. Among the changes the PolicyExchange suggest are a £20 charge for visiting a GP, with low-income groups exempt. They also say that people over 60 should no longer be universally eligible for free prescriptions, and the exemption should be determined by your income. They also advocate charges for 'more luxurious hospital accommodation', which they say could raise £700million. PolicyExchange advocate a system where universal healthcare coverage is available, and a basic model can be supplemented by other policies. The Government would regulate insurers and healthcare providers, and they say the system should still be called the NHS, with the main change being the way it is financed.
Argaam
09-07-2025
- Business
- Argaam
12.8M social insurance subscribers in Q1 2025; 95% in private sector
Saudi Arabia's General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) said a total of 12.8 million public and private sector employees were registered in the social insurance scheme by the end of Q1 2025. Insured citizens reached 2.92 million, accounting for 23% of the total subscribers. Meanwhile, the number of insured expatriate workers reached nearly 9.88 million, or 77% of total registered employees. Social insurance subscribers working in the private sector reached 12.2 million by the end of Q1 2025, representing 95% of total registered employees. Regional distribution shows that Riyadh accounted for the largest number of insured workers with nearly 6.1 million, followed by the Eastern Province (2.4 million) and Makkah (2.19 million).
Argaam
10-06-2025
- Business
- Argaam
12.4M social insurance beneficiaries in Q4 2024
The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) said that the active participants under the social insurance systems in Saudi Arabia, across public and private sectors, reached approximately 12.44 million by the end of the fourth quarter of 2024. The number of Saudis actively participating in social insurance during this period stood at around 2.89 million workers, representing 23% of the total registered. Meanwhile, the number of foreign workers was approximately 9.54 million, accounting for 77% of the total registered participants. Social insurance subscribers working in the private sector reached 11.84 million, representing 95% of the total subscribers, by the end of Q4 2024, GASTAT report noted. Regional distribution shows that Riyadh accounted for the largest number of insured workers with nearly 5.91 million, followed by the Eastern Province and Makkah with 2.34 million and 2.15 million, respectively. The authority said that the number of individuals who suspended their participation in social insurance reached approximately 187,200 during the fourth quarter of 2024.
