OUAGADOUGOU — The Laafi-Baoré Urban Health Mutual (MSU-LB), addressing its financial challenges, has enacted reforms aimed at revitalizing its operations and improving health care access for its 6,000 members, as decided in an Extraordinary General Assembly held on August 10, 2024.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the General Assembly approved a proposal from the Board of Directors to double the monthly member contribution from 1,000 FCFA to 2,000 FCFA starting October 1, 2024. This increase is part of a broader strategy to stabilize the mutual’s finances. Additionally, the reforms will see health check-ups excluded from the benefit packages, and caps will be introduced on dental care. Laboratory examinations, which currently account for over 70% of the mutual’s health care expenses, will receive particular attention for cost control.
The assembly emphasized adherence to the health pyramid from local health centers to reference hospitals, aligning with public policies that focus on the care of children under five and pregnant women. The mutual also commissioned a study to better fulfill its mission of providing accessible, quality health care at reduced costs, maintaining a 30% co-payment for services.
The mutual, which covers the municipalities of Kadiogo province, has engaged a medical advisor to streamline expenses related to consultation costs and specific medical services. This move is part of a broader initiative to ensure the mutual’s sustainability and effectiveness in delivering health care services.
Laafi-Baoré’s operations began in 2006 under the Support Network for Health Mutuals in Burkina Faso (RAMS-BF). Membership requires a fee of 2,500 FCFA, covering the member, their spouse, and up to three children under 18, with a 70% coverage rate within partnered health facilities.
These changes come as Burkina Faso advances towards implementing the Universal Health Insurance Scheme (RAMU), aiming to provide equitable health care access to all, especially those in the informal economy. “Our mutual is considered a model of success in the field of community initiative mutuality, and we must not fail,” stated Fidel Zerbo, Chairman of the board of directors at MSU-LB, underscoring the mutual’s commitment to its members and community health standards.
