JEDDAH, 23 February 2007 — The Health Ministry and the Council of Cooperative Health Insurance (CCHI) are currently considering the viability of extending health insurance to Saudis who are aged, unemployed and suffering from chronic diseases, reported Al-Madinah newspaper.
The CCHI is also considering to cover expatriate domestic workers such as drivers and housemaids, said Dr. Abdullah Al-Sharif, secretary-general of the council.
Al-Sharif said the second phase of the cooperative insurance to cover foreign workers in companies employing less than 500 people will be implemented in a few weeks. He added that Saudis who are above 65 years would be brought under the category of the aged. The cooperative insurance currently covers only non-Saudi workers. According to an earlier statement issued by the ministry, more than 1,135,000 people have been insured in the Kingdom.
The health insurance coverage would be completed in stages, with the first phase involving 33 companies with a manpower of 500 employees and above. The second phase, which is scheduled to begin in a matter of weeks, would cover non-Saudi workers with a work force of 100 to 500 people and the third phase would cover those with a work force of less than 100 expatriates.
All non-Saudis would be included in the scheme, regardless of whether they are employed in the private or non-private sectors.
Meanwhile, CCHI has directed companies to provide health insurance cover to their employees. They are also required to furnish details of health insurance policies and iqama numbers of beneficiaries and their dependents to insurance companies.
