Iraq will expand its national health insurance system to nine more provinces, starting next year, with full integration planned by 2026. Rollout will be phased, prioritizing government employees, social welfare recipients, people with disabilities, and retirees. Preparations and contracts with health providers are underway to ensure smooth implementation.
Iraq’s Ministry of Health announced a significant expansion of its national health insurance system, bringing nine new provinces into the programme beginning early next year. The provinces to be included are Basra, Dhi Qar, Maysan, Najaf, Karbala, Babylon, Anbar, Nineveh, and Kirkuk. According to the Director General of the Health Insurance Fund, Ali Ahmed Obeid, this move follows the Board of the Health Insurance Authority’s approval under the guidance of the Minister of Health and represents the largest extension of coverage since the system launched in Baghdad.
Preparatory work over the past six months has resulted in the completion of six administrative offices and ongoing efforts to finalize the remaining three, alongside the establishment of essential infrastructure. The authority has already started contracting both public and private healthcare providers in these provinces to deliver insured medical services once the insurance system goes live.
Inclusion will be phased, drawing on the implementation model used in Baghdad, with initial target groups comprising government employees and their families, social welfare beneficiaries, persons with disabilities and special needs, and, optionally, retirees. Full integration of these provinces is scheduled by 2026, aiming to ensure smooth, sustainable, and effective expansion of coverage for Iraq’s diverse population.
