Washington Healthcare, a key player in Ethiopia’s private health services sector, has announced plans to launch a new commercial health insurance company alongside a hospital service aimed at addressing the significant shortage of commercial health insurance in the country.

Markos Feleke (MD), CEO of Washington Healthcare, revealed that the company is in the final stages of forming a partnership with several leading medical institutions to establish “Family Health Insurance” (FHI). This new entity is designed to offer accessible and consistent healthcare coverage to individuals and families while enhancing service delivery within the private health sector — an area currently underserved in Ethiopia.

“One of the biggest challenges in the health sector is the lack of commercial health insurance,” said Markos. “Although community-based and social insurance programs exist, the absence of business-driven options is glaring. Our new company will be the first collaborative effort to build a robust and extensive insurance network spanning multiple medical facilities.”

The initiative has already secured initial capital and is now awaiting legal and regulatory clearances to commence operations.

The launch of Family Health Insurance coincides with a rebranding of Washington Healthcare, which unveiled a new logo symbolizing its decade of success and an expanded mission. Having served over 2 million patients in the past 10 years, Washington Healthcare is now set to broaden its range of services.

In addition to the insurance company, the new hospital under Washington Healthcare will be the first private facility in Ethiopia to offer a variety of specialty hospital services, reinforcing the company’s commitment to becoming an advanced healthcare service center.

Washington Healthcare also plans to make its successful digital health portfolio and best practices available to medical facilities nationwide, aiming to improve quality, transparency, and operational efficiency across the sector.