Botswana explores AI integration into National Health Insurance
staff writer | Wednesday October 21, 2026 10:55
NHI Senior Consultant, Lydia Andries, said authorities were considering digital solutions to improve coordination between public and private healthcare providers, with the aim of enhancing efficiency, accountability and access to medical services. The NHI is a proposed healthcare financing system intended to advance universal health coverage by pooling resources and strategically purchasing services from accredited healthcare providers. It is designed to improve access to quality healthcare, including for citizens who cannot afford private medical aid, while strengthening the sustainability of healthcare financing. Earlier this year, the government announced that it has allocated P77.8 million towards operationalising the scheme.
The allocation forms part of preparations to establish the institutional and operational framework required for implementation. Speaking at the second annual Botswana Actuarial Symposium last week, Andries said Parliament’s approval of the NHI policy had paved the way for preparatory work, including the development of a financing model to accompany the proposed NHI Bill. 'Currently the NHI policy has been approved and the approval now gives us the opportunity to now start the building blocks for the foundation of the NHI whilst waiting for the bill to go through Parliament,' she said.
'We are currently working on the material modelling for us to be able to present alongside the bill as we take it to Cabinet and ultimately for approval.' Andries further said the financing model will help determine how the scheme will operate, including arrangements for purchasing healthcare services, contracting providers and allocating resources. 'Under the new scheme, government will strategically purchase medicines with knowledge of the intended user, this will be enabled by the integrated system that will have patient's information,' she added. Under the proposed framework, both public and private healthcare facilities would be eligible to provide services, subject to accreditation against common standards.
Accredited providers would operate under contractual obligations intended to promote quality, accountability and compliance with agreed service requirements. According to Andries, government also intended to introduce efficiencies across primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary healthcare services. This would involve controls to ensure patients receive treatment at the appropriate level of care, taking into account the complexity of their medical needs and the costs associated with specialised services. She said digital technology could support these objectives through an interoperable platform that enables healthcare facilities to exchange medical information more effectively.
Such a system could improve continuity of care, reduce administrative inefficiencies and provide authorities with a more comprehensive picture of service delivery. 'Artificial intelligence is among the technologies being explored, although the government has yet to specify the applications it intends to adopt, their implementation costs or the timeline for deployment,' she noted.
Andries said data protection will be another critical consideration as patient information is shared between institutions. Appropriate safeguards would be necessary to protect confidential medical records, regulate access and ensure that digital healthcare systems are used responsibly. The proposed NHI forms part of broader government efforts to improve the efficiency and sustainability of healthcare financing.