‘Doctor, how are we going to pay for this?’

What the report says

The Independent Uganda published a July 27, 2026 commentary by Joan Nankya, Head of Medical Business at ICEA LION Uganda, arguing that medical insurance is becoming an essential financial safeguard for Ugandan households. Drawing on more than six years working in medical insurance, Nankya says families often face a dual crisis when illness strikes: securing treatment while urgently raising money for deposits, tests, medicines or hospital care.

According to the commentary, healthcare costs remain difficult for many Ugandans because direct payments at the point of service still make up about one-third of the country’s current health expenditure, citing the World Health Organization and Uganda’s Ministry of Health. Nankya says emergencies such as severe malaria, childbirth complications, road crash injuries and chronic illnesses can rapidly drain savings, disrupt work or schooling, and push families toward asset sales, loans or community fundraising.

The article presents insurance as a way to pool risk and replace unpredictable medical expenses with planned contributions, rather than as an investment product. It says coverage can also encourage earlier care-seeking by lowering the immediate cash barrier, while insurers may help negotiate provider costs, monitor quality and review claims.

Nankya notes that Uganda’s insurance market has expanded beyond employer schemes to include family, retail, small-business and informal-sector products. She also links the issue to Uganda’s broader efforts toward a National Health Insurance Scheme, while cautioning that public understanding remains crucial. Her central argument is that medical insurance should be seen less as a luxury and more as part of household financial resilience and wider progress toward universal health coverage.