The cost of implementing a health insurance program for 500,000 teachers from the Ministry of Education will amount to SR750 million annually, according to Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, a member of the National Committee for Insurance at the Saudi Council of Chambers.

“This is bound to rationalize expenditure on government hospitals and boost the growth of the insurance sector,” he said.

Officials at the Education Ministry are debating the possibility of realizing this project.

Meanwhile, a committee is studying the feasibility of applying a health insurance program for the ministry’s employees and assessing its estimated annual cost.

Al-Saud said that insurance companies in the country have the capability of providing such health insurance programs to the ministry’s employees.

“The ministry can revive its previous plans that involve allowing ‘voluntary insurance’ to employees as a first stage,” he said, adding that the ministry can reach an understanding with insurers on the right insurance policy, the services provided and other issues.

He explained that the experience of private schools was successful to the extent that some schools allowed students to be included in the health insurance program. He called on schools to unify their efforts to obtain better offers and get lower prices from insurance companies. The debate is still raging between teachers and officials in Education Ministry on health insurance, as the former regard the issue as their lawful right.

Education Minister Prince Faisal bin Abdullah sees the decision to cover teachers with health insurance as a state decision, dismissing any attempts to hold his ministry accountable for denying teachers this right.

“Teachers, both male and female, represent 57 percent of state employees,” he said, adding that the same goes for the granting of housing benefits.