Oman: Mandatory health insurance scheme to be implemented soon
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | Oct 2019
The mandatory health insurance scheme for private-sector local employees, foreign workers and visitors to the Sultanate, is almost ready for implementation, the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) has announced.
According to a report by the Times of Oman, Mr Ahmed Al Mamari, CMA vice president and the head of the health insurance team said, “The health insurance rules of the Dhamani project are in the final discussion stages at the Ministry of Legal Affairs. This includes the legislative framework that regulates the relationship between the concerned parties represented by the employer, the worker, insurance and health institutions and the claim management company.
“The implementation of the system will be in accordance with a gradual methodology that takes into account the classification of companies, of which the highest is the ‘Excellent’ rating level.”
Mr Al Mamari added, “Workers in the private sector, who include domestic and farm workers, will be among the target group in the early implementation stage.”
He also said the CMA has laid down a number of steps to ensure the successful implementation of the project in the Sultanate. “The most important of these is to ensure the right of the worker to receive appropriate health coverage, whatever his place of residence or work, as well as coordination with the concerned authorities to improve the health and insurance services provided to them.”
The authorities will work to reduce as much as possible the costs faced by employers in the private sector as a result of the mandatory health insurance scheme. M