KUWAIT: The health ministry and the Health Assurance Hospitals Company (Dhaman) have started coordinating to prepare a work plan to implement new health insurance fees on expats by the beginning of 2020, said official sources. The sources added that a media campaign will be rolled out to explain the new health insurance mechanism to expats, bearing in mind that the new fee would be KD 130 per expat working in the private sector and the same for each of their dependents.

The sources said the new fee will cover medical and radiology tests and treatment. However, the new law does not specify who will be responsible for providing visitors with healthcare, but explained that paying for healthcare for dependents depends on the company the expat is registered with.

Moreover, the sources noted the health ministry will fully support the insurance hospitals as part of its plan to force expats to receive medical treatment in private hospitals and leave public hospitals only for citizens. "Nonetheless, public hospitals will exceptionally receive expats in emergency cases for certain fees determined in related ministerial decisions," the sources explained, noting that fees paid to private health insurance hospitals will be supervised by the health ministry to prevent "overburdening" expats.

By A Saleh