As of 1 September 2011, the Rwandan Social Security Board (RSSB) extended health insurance coverage to pensioners through the Rwandaise Health Care Insurance (La Rwandaise d'assurance maladie (RAMA)). The move follows the merger of the former Social Security Fund of Rwanda (Caisse sociale du Rwanda (CSR)) with RAMA to form the RSSB.

The RAMA health insurance scheme currently has approximately 300,000 affiliates of which 90 per cent are public servants. New beneficiaries include retired public and private sector workers who were enrolled in the scheme before retirement, their spouses and dependants, and former government employees who retired before RAMA was initiated.

Previously, CSR pensioners joined the Mutuelle de santé medical scheme, and pensioners who were never enrolled in RAMA will continue to do so. It is hoped that allowing those pensioners who were covered under RAMA to keep their coverage after retirement will ensure continuity in the delivery of benefits, and in particular medication.

Coverage of pensioners under RAMA will be financed through shared contributions from pensioners, from whom 7.5 per cent of annual pensions will be deducted, and government, which would contribute an additional 7.5 per cent. Under the current plan, retired employees who withdrew the total amount of their pension benefits are excluded from RAMA, but officials are considering the possibility of allowing voluntary affiliation at the total contribution rate of 15 per cent.

Source: "10,000 Pensioners to Benefit from Rama Medical Cover", The New Times, 14 June 2011, http://allafrica.com/stories/2011106140841.html; "RSSB Launches Pensioners Medical Insurance Scheme", The New Times, 15 September 2011, http://in2eastafrica.net/rssb-launches-pensioners-medical-insurance-scheme/.

Implementation date: 09.2011