The Rwanda Insurers Association (ASSAR) has pledged to step up efforts to address delays in payments to private health facilities. The commitment comes amid growing concern from private health facilities over prolonged delays in claim settlements, particularly by private insurers. The Rwanda Private Medical Facilities Association (RPMFA) raised the issue during its General Assembly held on December 19, 2025, in Kigali, stating that some private insurers take between three and seven months to pay for services already provided to insured patients. The association called on insurers to honour their contractual obligations to avoid disrupting healthcare delivery. ASSAR Chairperson Andrew Kulayige told The New Times that the association is committed to enforcing contractual obligations and improving collaboration between insurers and healthcare providers. ALSO READ: Private clinics rescind decision to cut ties with insurance firms “As Rwanda Association of Insurers, we encourage all insurers to pay all the reconciled claims within 30 days as per the contracts signed with all health service providers. We request the hospitals, clinics, and pharmaceutical shops to always directly report all cases of delayed payments to our association. We will certainly help to enforce the contractual obligations for all insurers,” Kulayige said. “As the association of insurers, we will work closely with the service providers to ensure that we have closed whatever gaps that currently exist for the sake of the great partnership we all strive to achieve.” ALSO READ: Private clinics call for review of laboratory test tariffs unchanged since 2017 According to RPMFA, government-backed insurance schemes perform relatively better. Military Medical Insurance (MMI) settles claims within one to two months, while the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB)—which manages workers’ medical insurance (RAMA) and community-based health insurance scheme (Mutuelle de Santé)—processes payments within two to three months. RPMFA Executive Secretary Christian Ntakirutimana commended MMI and RSSB “for their comparatively timely payments,” stating that the facilities receive fewer complaints related to the two schemes. He urged member facilities to consistently and promptly report outstanding arrears to enable the association to advocate effectively for payments. Private insurers, however, were cited as having the longest payment delays. RPMFA said it has initiated dialogue with insurers, including through engagements with relevant insurance bodies, to develop a standard contract framework for private health facilities, although no consensus has yet been reached. RPMFA Secretary Dr Peace Mukabalisa said delayed reimbursements force the medical facilities to rely on bank overdrafts, with interest costs that are not covered by insurers. Eventually, she observed, the facilities paid only the original billed amounts, months later, despite having incurred additional financing costs to remain operational. She added that persistent delays undermine the sector’s ability to expand, adopt new technologies, and improve service delivery—challenges that could hinder Rwanda’s ambition to position itself as a regional hub for medical tourism. “So, we ask our partners, honestly, to honour their contractual obligations, to pay facilities. And we are not static, we are advancing, we are expanding, we are buying into new, embracing technology. You cannot grow when you do not have finances to support the growth of the health sector,” she said. To strengthen its engagement with insurers, RPMFA said it plans to hire a competent lawyer to handle contract-related and other legal matters.
