DOHA: Services of the state-owned National Health Insurance Company (NHIC) providing health insurance cover to Qataris under the national health insurance scheme, Seha, will end today.
Health cover for citizens will be transferred to private insurance providers from June 1, next year, the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) said yesterday. It has not specified any interim arrangement for citizens in the meantime.
Expatriates are also expected to be covered by private insurance providers, as announced earlier. The State Cabinet yesterday approved amendments in the law allowing private insurance companies to provide health cover to “citizens and others.”
Citizens who were admitted in private hospitals before the cut-off date (December 31) will continue to get insurance cover until they are discharged after completing the required treatment, Qatar News Agency reported yesterday quoting a SCH statement.
SCH announced suspension of Seha services under NHIC last week in line with a Cabinet decision. Further to this decision, the State Cabinet yesterday approved proposals by the SCH on amendment of some provisions of Law No. 7 of 2013 on health insurance.
The amendments have annulled the NHIC and all matters related to its responsibilities on the management of the insurance system and allowed private insurance companies to provide insurance cover to citizens and others, QNA reported.
The SCH said yesterday that it has finalised details of the basic package for citizens under the new system. This will be referred to the Cabinet in its next meeting for discussion and its directives.
The SCH has completed preparation of tenders for selecting private insurance company/companies to provide health cover to citizens from June 1 next year. Tenders will be invited during the first week of February. Assessment of bids, selection of the company/companies and signing contracts will be completed in May. A special panel will be set up by a Cabinet decision to carry out the task.
The Peninsula
