International cooperation

National Health Insurance Fund under the Ministry of Health (NHIF) is a member of International Association of Mutual Benefit Societies (AIM) since 2013, this association is an international umbrella organisation of federations of health mutuals and health insurance institutions counting with 55 members from 28 countries around Europe, Latin America and Africa and the Middle East.

AIM members are all not-for- profit organisations providing health coverage to around 240 million people, as well as services relating to compulsory and/or supplementary health insurance, some of them also managing health and social insurance services. Our members are either mutuals or health insurance funds operating in accordance with the principles of solidarity, democracy and universality.

AIM missions:
1. Working with European and international institutions to promote universal access to healthcare;
2. Promoting health protection based on solidarity and democracy;
3. Fostering exchange of best practices through discussions between our members;
4. Strengthening social innovation;
5. Promoting both the mutual model and the social and solidarity economy.

AIM works in the following areas: public health, social policy, company law, international cooperation of mutual.

Some of our current activities focus on:

• Working for the affordability and availability of medicines and medical devices
• Contributing to implementing the Directive on ‘patients’ rights in cross-border ‘healthcare’
• Exchanging best practices in the fields of long-term care, healthy ageing and prevention
• Lobbying on horizontal issues such as data protection and VAT
• Organising conferences on health issues

AIM regularly organizes various seminars or thematic conferences to discuss issues relevant to health insurance institutions. NHIF specialists participate in AIM working groups, which exchange information on ongoing reforms and experience in health insurance system development, health care financing and ensuring the financial sustainability of health systems.

More information about AIM can be found here.