The suffering of Lebanese people at the doors of hospitals has grown, and it is not an exaggeration to say that some prefer to endure pain rather than face the exorbitant bills that have become beyond their means. In fact, the figures from the insurance bodies indicate a decline in hospital admissions, with most cases being emergencies. In light of this reality, the insurance entities have attempted to adjust their tariffs, such as the National Social Security Fund and the Ministry of Health, but these steps remain insufficient, and the bulk of the hospital bills is still borne by the citizens.
However, a notable step was recorded for the State Employees Cooperative, which increased its medical hospitalization tariffs tenfold compared to 2021 last week. This measure will cover a significant portion of the hospital bills, potentially exceeding half, and will benefit approximately 370,000 insured individuals under the cooperative, including public sector employees who are already struggling under the weight of a severe crisis and the devaluation of their salaries.
Dr. Yahya Khamis, the Director General of the State Employees Cooperative, explained the details of this decision via mtv, stating: "We conducted our scientific study and found that we could increase the hospitalization tariff by 10 times, following our increase in the 2022 budget, motivated by our awareness of the employees' plight and the high hospitalization costs and significant differences charged by hospitals."
While he noted that "we work in the cooperative meticulously based on real and factual numbers," Khamis affirmed that "this decision will have a positive impact and significant effects on the people." Amid the intensifying crisis and the people’s outcry against high bills, Khamis demanded that hospitals not charge additional margins beyond the rates set by the insurance bodies, and if the differences are justified, they should not be excessive.
In response to a question, Khamis considered that "hospital bills are inflated with discrepancies, and there is an exaggeration in calculating what is called the hospitalization dollar, which should not equate to the black market dollar." He added, "Despite the high price of diesel, this does not justify the inflated calculations of diesel costs in the bills."
Khamis commented on the prevailing chaos, saying: "Unfortunately, this country has no controls or deterrents, and we as a cooperative cannot hold hospitals accountable except through contract termination. However, we fulfill our duty to monitor and hold hospitals accountable, and we do not pay before detailed auditing of the bills," considering that actual accountability primarily lies with the Ministry of Health.
This is a glimmer of hope that proves that not all of the public sector is corrupt and unproductive, and when an employee is responsible for public funds and their duties, they can make a difference, as is the case with the State Employees Cooperative. We await Lebanon's recovery from its crises, hoping that the citizen's dignity is preserved after all this humiliation for a medicine, hospitalization, or a bite to eat.
