Falah says MPs’ insurance is cost-efficient, while Aasandha burdens the state

PNC Parliamentary Group Leader and Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah says there is nothing excessive or harmful about the health insurance package provided to Members of Parliament, arguing instead that the state is financially burdened by the unlimited Aasandha scheme available to the general public.

Falah made the remarks on Monday during the debate on a petition calling for the reduction of the “expensive health insurance not available to ordinary citizens but granted to MPs”, forwarded to the floor by the Petitions Committee under the Rules of Procedure. He said the petitioner had submitted the request “without proper due diligence” and without understanding how parliamentary insurance works.

According to Falah, the state pays MVR 24,000 per MP per annum as the premium for the parliamentary health insurance package. He said MPs are entitled to coverage of up to MVR 1,350,000 per year, but this limit is borne entirely by the insurance provider and not by the state budget.

Illustrating his point, Falah said, “If you insure a resort for USD 10 million, you may have to pay USD 2 million annually in premiums.” He argued that similarly, once the state pays MVR 24,000 per MP, any amount utilised by the member becomes “a benefit to the state.”

“The state pays MVR 24,000 per annum for each MP’s insurance. The state does not spend a single rufiyaa on a member’s medical treatment. But Aasandha pays for me and every other person directly from the state budget,” he said.

Falah added that under the parliamentary insurance package, MPs’ accommodation and meal expenses during overseas medical travel are not covered, and must be paid out of pocket.