Kuwait: Committee approves Bill for mandatory health insurance for expats
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | Jan 2019
Kuwait’s National Assembly’s legal and legislative committee has approved a draft law that would establish a mandatory health insurance scheme for expatriates living and working in the country, said media reports.
The move takes the proposed health insurance scheme closer to implementation.
The committee also approved a proposal to impose charges on medical services for expatriates opting to seek treatment at public hospitals, reported Kuwait Times. At present, expatriates are required to pay only KWD50 ($164) annually on renewal of their residence permits and also pay partial fees for most health services at public hospitals.
The new Bill comes even as the government and the Assembly had approved a law to establish hospitals for the treatment of expatriates only.
Another new measure being debated will, when passed, impose a requirement for obligatory health insurance on foreigners who visit the country. This stipulates that before issuing a visit visa to a foreigner, the sponsor must attach a health insurance policy to the application.
Expats account for about 70% of Kuwait’s total population that exceeds 4m. M
KWD1 = $3.30