Health scheme includes wife of worker, his dependants
According to Dr Rohil Raghavan, Regional CEO of Oman VPS, an integrated healthcare provider with a network of hospitals, told Times of Oman, “This is going to lead to more people having insurance, but I don’t think that it will be too much for most hospitals to handle.”
He added, “Of course, from a humanitarian perspective we want everyone to have access to insurance and healthcare so that they can pay for proper care. I also think that from the economic perspective, this is good for companies as business will increase.”
The health insurance basic scheme includes the wife of the worker and his dependants, including children up to the age of 21. The initial period of insurance will be for one year and that may increase as agreed by both parties (the insurance company and the employer). According to the decree, the basic health insurance scheme will include “Inpatient care up to OMR3,000 for the insured person, a maximum of 30 days stay in a shared room in hospital and transportation to the hospital for up to OMR100 for each visit.”
This care also includes diagnosis, consultancy fees (if recommended by a practitioner), prescriptions, emergency and ambulance services, and a chaperone for patients younger than 16 years old.
For outpatient care, the insurance offers consultancy, diagnosis, scans, and lab tests, as well as pharmacy fees, for up to OMR500. It also includes repatriation costs of up to OMR500 for the deceased.
PM Jaber, an insurance broker with Salam Insurance LLC, said, “This is fantastic news, as it allows people to have access to quality healthcare.
“There are also economic benefits related to an increase in the market of insurance. It is sure to benefit the insurance market as more companies sign on to insurance schemes.”
A spokesperson for the CMA said to Times of Oman, “This health insurance is not in effect yet. This can be seen as laying the legislative groundwork before the insurance is announced.”
The decision signed by the Capital Market Authority has also revealed the exceptions of the new mandatory health insurance. Excluded conditions include premeditated self-inflicted injuries, experimental treatment, pre-existing conditions and health check-ups for non-medical reasons such as travel, insurance, or gaining a permit.