Health insurance scheme’s second stage to start from next month

qatar is all set to launch the second stage of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in late-April this year.

The second stage will see health insurance coverage expanded to include all Qatari nationals for their basic health needs. When fully launched by 2015, the NHIS will provide universal health coverage to all people living in Qatar.

Nationals, non-nationals and even visitors to the country will have access to a range of public and private healthcare providers, offering  people access to more quality and choice for their healthcare needs.

National Health Insurance Company (NHIC) acting CEO Dr Faleh Mohamed Hussain Ali  said:  “The countdown has begun and we are entering the final phase of preparations for the launch of stage two of the National Health Insurance Scheme which will see services expanded to include all Qatari nationals for the full range of basic health services.”

Groundwork for the launch of the next stage included a series of background work on structuring the core infrastructural elements for the scheme, including discussions with providers.

In addition, several of the experiences from stage two are being incorporated into the next stage to ensure as smooth an introduction as possible. “Learning from each stage is a key reason for the staged rollout of the NHIS,” explained Dr Faleh. “The staged rollout also allows time for the sector to cope with the system demands of rollout of the scheme.”

The NHIS is being introduced in four stages between 2013 and 2015. Stage one, launched in July 2013, covers Qatari females aged 12 and above for gynaecology, obstetrics, maternity and related women’s health issues. Subsequent stages will expand services to cover the majority of specialties, beginning with all Qatari nationals in late April 2014 followed by a phased roll-out for non-nationals in 2015.

The scheme forms a key milestone in meeting the objectives of the Human Development pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030, which aims for a healthy, productive society and calls for healthcare to be accessible to all, and Goal six of the National Health Strategy which focuses on the establishment of social health insurance as part of bringing greater efficiency and transparency to the operation of the Qatari health care sector.

NHIC opens its first customer service centre

 The National Health Insurance Company (NHIC) has opened its first customer service centre for members of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) at the sixth floor of the Amwal Tower in West Bay. The  customer service centre offers insurance scheme members an additional level of support alongside the already operational call centre. Customer service centre staff will assist members with any queries including general information about the scheme and its roll-out, coverage, member rights and the provider network. The working hours of the customer service centre are from 8am to 5pm from Sunday to Thursday.