RIYADH, 23 August 2005 — Expatriate workers in the Kingdom will soon have to produce a health insurance policy to obtain or renew their iqamas. This was announced by Minister of Health Dr. Hamad Al-Manie in a statement here yesterday.
“Coordination is under way with the General Directorate of Passports over the proposal,” the minister said. He added that the move was part of the ministry’s measures to implement the cooperative health care insurance scheme in the Kingdom.
The scheme aims at covering the entire population, whether expatriate or citizens, with health care insurance.
“Once the mechanisms of coordination are finalized no expatriate in the country will be allowed to obtain or renew his or her iqama without an insurance policy,” Al-Manie said.
He said the government had authorized health centers and government hospitals belonging to the Ministry of Health to act as service providers for the insured person. It has also authorized other health care providers to discharge similar services in areas where health services are not available.
The ministry has so far permitted a total of 182 hospitals, medical and eye clinics, health centers and pharmacies in the private sector to operate the medical insurance business.
He said it has also been decided to exempt from subscribing to the medical insurance scheme employees who are working with firms that own a medical establishment if they (health firms) comply with certain conditions. They include medical insurance cover for primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities; general medical check-up and treatment; hospitalization for general operation; transporting the body of an expatriate worker to his home country in the event of death.
Dr. Al-Manie said health care establishments would henceforth be allowed to expand their medical insurance coverage abroad and that the owner of the medical firm would have to cover the medical expenses of a Saudi citizen and each member of his family.
A directory has been brought out for providing comprehensive information on the health insurance schemes as well as the number of authorized hospitals rendering such services Kingdomwide.
Al-Manie said that his ministry has initially qualified nine out of 17 companies to provide medical insurance services. The applications of eight others are under review.
He said the ministry currently was conducting training program for its employees in the health sectors on the implementation of the health information system. The plan is the first to help employees on how to deal this particular specialty.
The minister said the Cooperative Health Insurance Council (CHIC) supervised the close relationship among the three parties involved — the service provider, insurance companies and the applicant for the service.
Verification of the medical firms’ compliance with Saudization of jobs was going on in line with the private health establishments’ rules. No authorization would be granted to any medical firm if it violated the rules, he added.
— Additional input by Abdul Hannan Faisal Tago
