The Supreme Council of Health yesterday announced the establishment of the National Health Insurance Company (NHIC) which will manage the National Health Insurance Scheme that rolls out in July.
The council also announced the appointment of Qatari AlKhaleej Takaful Group as the Third Party Administrator (TPA) for the insurance scheme.
The NHIC is fully owned by the government and is being managed by an executive team, reporting to a board of directors, comprising representatives from the SCH, Ministries of Finance, Labour, Interior and the Central Municipal Council and two members from the private business sector to be nominated by the Qatar Chamber.
“The Universal health insurance is a key component of the National Health Strategy and a fundamental step towards ensuring a healthy population,” HE the Minister of Health and SCH secretary general Abdullah bin Khalid al-Qahtani was quoted saying in a release issued by the SCH.
According to the minister, the establishment of the NHIC and the appointment of the TPA would put in place the infrastructure needed to achieve the strategic goal in Qatar’s National Vision 2030.
The TPA will administer the daily operations of the scheme on behalf of the NHIC similar to the way health insurance systems are operated worldwide.
AlKhaleej Takaful was selected after an extensive competitive tender and the company brings the Qatari AlKhaleej Takaful Group together with global insurance organisations Aetna International and GlobeMed.
The appointment will see AlKhaleej establish the infrastructure for connecting beneficiaries and providers with the NHIC, including claims management systems and call centre.
AlKhaleej Takaful Group chief executive officer Jassim al-Moftah said that with the partnership and support of the SCH, the company would make the project a success.
“Aetna and GlobeMed are among the most internationally recognised and professional corporations. Along with their support, we will achieve the goal of a true universal healthcare system in Qatar,” he said.
Information about the insurance scheme can be found at
www.sch.qov.qa
