SMART, the first system integrator and operator for the family card project, launched in Egypt earlier this year in co-operation with Ministry of State for Administrative Development and Ministry of Social Solidarity, has recently introduced a new service to the cards issued Health insurance service. It enables the Egyptians to get access to national health insurance services in a more rationalised and automated manner. The new service aims at executing the strategic direction set by the Ministry of Health to isolate the service provider for the payer for the services of National Health Insurance Services, where various health service centres (providers) contracting with the Egyptian Health Insurance Organisation (payer) will be equipped with electronic terminals that reads the family card of the visitor (patient/ service recipient). It then validates identity and eligibility of acquiring the required service and instruct the payment as per the health insurance policy the recipient is registered to. This service is expected to play a major role in enhancing the health insurance provision by rationalising the health insurance subsidisation process by better controlling expenses, limiting possible fraud and monitoring the services of the providers. The new service is currently being piloted in the coastal governorate of Suez, where over 90,000 family cards were enrolled in the system and the new application was added to these cards, and card holders can now obtain health insurance services at 23 Family health service centres throughout governorate of Suez. Smartcards, the system's developing company, the Ministry of State for Administrative development and the Ministry of Health are now planning the rollout of this service at the governorate of Sohag (4.5 million beneficiaries). SMART is also preparing for the launch of a new service that is heavily demanded in the Egyptian market. The solution is based around supplying enterprises owning fleet of vehicles with payment cards that allow the fleet operator's drivers to get access to fuel and related services for their vehicles in an automated, electronic and auditable environment. The company is currently in active discussions to introduce this new service to petrol and gas stations operators inside Egypt and within the Middle East.
