Kuwait: Parliamentary panel endorses mandatory health insurance for visitors
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | Apr 2017
Kuwait’s parliamentary health affairs committee has endorsed a report recommending mandatory health insurance for foreigners visiting the country.
The requirement will affect foreigners entering Kuwait temporarily and those with other visit visas.
The report said that the Interior Minister would set the conditions and regulations needed to impose the new insurance on visitors and to decide those to be exempted, reported Kuwait Times.
The current law will have to be amended to give effect to the proposed mandatory health insurance scheme.
The plan is for health insurance policies to cover foreigners who seek medical treatment at expat-only hospitals and 15 expat-only health clinics that are currently planned.
Commenting on the proposal for mandatory health insurance to be purchased by foreign visitors, Ms Safa Al Hashem, a Member of Parliament, said: “Such a move will ease the pressure on hospitals where the visiting families of foreigners are causing long waiting lists.”
Interior ministry data show that around 621,200 foreigners visited Kuwait in 2016. In addition, about two thirds of the total population of 4.2 million people living in Kuwait are foreigners. They are mainly unskilled labourers, domestic helpers and drivers.