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The first stage of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) will be implemented from next month, providing coverage to all Qatari women aged 12 years and above for their maternity, obstetrics, gynaecology and related healthcare issues, the Supreme Council of Health announced yesterday.
Around 90,000 Qatari women are expected to be covered during the first stage of the mandatory scheme, being launched in five stages until 2015 when all segments of the population in the country, including single male labourers and domestic workers, will come under the scheme.
While many tests are automatically covered within the scheme, some complex procedures and tests may require additional approvals from the insurance company, just established by the SCH. Insurance will not cover services such as cosmetic surgery and certain dental procedures.
“There will be no monetary limit to the coverage within the insurance scheme for Qatari nationals and residents in the country,” SCH assistant secretary general for policy affairs Dr Faleh Mohamed Hussain Ali said.
Hamad Medical Corporation Women’s Hospital and three private hospitals, Doha Clinic, Al Emadi and Al Ahli, have been selected for the initial care provider network for this group. More providers will be added over the following weeks, according to the SCH.
During the first stage, which will continue until the first quarter of 2014, when the second stage is expected to roll out, any Qatari woman wishing to access maternity and gynaecology services can take an appointment directly from the hospital currently in the network and identify themselves using their Qatar identity card, the only form of identification and verification under the health insurance scheme.
The launching of the first stage follows the recently issued Law Number 7 of 2013 by HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, which stipulates that the government shall be responsible for the payment of the health insurance premiums of all citizens.
Under the law, employers will pay the premiums of their non-Qatari employees and their family members. Employers are not allowed to deduct the premiums from their employees.
Also, according to the law, visitors have to pay their health insurance premiums on the basis of the duration of their stay in Qatar. A visit visa will not be issued or renewed without the payment of the health insurance premium.
In the second stage, to be implemented in the first quarter of 2014, all Qatari nationals will receive services in select HMC hospitals and a network of private providers.
In the third quarter of 2014, all Qatari nationals will receive services in select HMC hospitals and an expanded provider network.
The first quarter of 2015 is to see all Qatari nationals plus white-collar expatriates and visitors being covered with all services in select HMC hospitals and expanded private providers.
The rest of the year will see all Qatari nationals, white-collar and blue-collar expatriates and visitors offered all services in select HMC hospitals and the three designated purpose-built single male labourers’ hospitals in the Industrial Area, Ras Laffan and Mesaieed.
Warning to companies
The Supreme Council of Health yesterday issued a stern warning to companies to avoid any manipulation of their employees’ income to cushion the effects of footing the payment of their insurance premium. “We will not condone any form of manipulation of workers’ income by their employers once the insurance scheme comes into force because the law states that employers must pay for all employees and their dependents and that companies are not allowed to deduct the premiums from their workers salaries,” SCH assistant secretary general for policy affairs Dr Faleh Mohamed Hussain Ali said. Page 2