Kuwait introduces new compulsory health insurance worth KD130
Kuwait’s Health Insurance Hospitals Company (Dhaman) has announced it will be introducing a new KD 130 (Dh1.592) compulsory health insurance for two million residents working in the private sector under Visa No. 18, in addition to their registered families, Al Qabas daily reported quoting informed sources.
The traditional health insurance will remain to cover the health service fees for government sector workers and domestic workers.
The sources revealed that the company has worked to develop the health insurance system currently in force in Kuwait, which is based on separating health insurance from the healthcare costs, as the resident currently pays annual health insurance fees and also pays other fees in exchange of services, treatment, and medicine.
The new Dhaman package covers various annual insurance fees, such as medical expenses for example, in addition to the expenses of diagnosis, x-rays, laboratory tests, outpatient clinics, treatment, operations, hospitalisation and other services.
The sources highlighted that the cost of the new compulsory health insurance will be KD 130, which has been approved in accordance with the law, stressing that the employers are obligated to pay for the health insurance of their expatriate employees, while the fee for medical consultation and opening the file, which is KD 2 per visit, will continue and will not be canceled.
Dhaman affirmed that 50 per cent of the company’s shares will be listed in the Kuwait Stock exchange by the end of 2021.
The sources noted that the company’s board of directors seeks to have the listing on the stock exchange coincide with the start of the fully operational phase of the health insurance system in order to ensure the rights of shareholders and achieve greater investment benefits for them.
