Burma’s 53 million people will soon get their first opportunity to buy health insurance. Pilot projects are to be started in the cities of Yangon and Mandalay with the aim of deciding on premium rates that are low enough for people to afford, but high enough for insurance companies to make money. The projects follow work by a task force made up of 12 local insurance companies, 14 foreign companies and several government departments. People in Burma, also known as Myanmar, have been able to buy insurance to cover fire, vehicle and property risks, but not their own health. Patients have typically had to pay cash for medical services.
