Qatar: Shura Council approves draft law on healthcare and mandatory health insurance
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | May 2021
The Shura Council, or legislative body, has approved a draft law regulating healthcare services within Qatar, that also covers compulsory health insurance.
Under the draft law, the Ministry of Public Health shall set standards for providing healthcare services in government and private health facilities and compulsory health insurance and supervise it. The ministry will provide an integrated, high-quality, efficient and sustainable health system and work on developing and maintaining compulsory health insurance, reported The Peninsula.
According to the draft law, health insurance is mandatory to ensure the provision of basic healthcare services to expatriates and visitors to the state. An entry visa or residence permit for an expatriate or visitor may be granted or renewed, and expatriates may be employed, only after submitting proof of compulsory health insurance for the duration of the stay in Qatar.
The draft law defines the rights and duties of patients that must be observed when receiving healthcare services and the obligations of the parties to the insurance relationship and providers of healthcare services, as well as the penalties for violations of provisions. M