The Health Ministry's proposal to introduce health insurance for domestic workers like housemaids, drivers and all others in this category is in its final stage, SPA reported quoting Health Minister Dr. Hamad Abdullah Al-Mane' Monday. Al-Mane' said the experts commission is discussing two schemes for the insurance – paying SR500 to the Ministry of Health or paying SR1,200 to the insurance companies and getting treatment in the private sector hospitals, in addition to the Ministry of Health facilities. The minister said the Health Insurance Council has approved three insurance documents. They include a unified insurance document for family members, a document for old people, and a third document for individual domestic workers. Each of the three documents is different from the other according to the health privileges and subscription fees. He said the health insurance document includes all the expenses for treatments including medical checkup, diagnosis, medicines according to the document's schedule, hospitalization, surgeries, child delivery, treatment of dental and gum diseases as well as preventive measures specified by the Ministry of Health like mother and child care. In case of death, expenses for sending the insured person's body to his home country is also covered. Al-Mane' said the Health Insurance Council has approved 986 hospitals, medical centers and pharmacies to provide healthcare service. The number of expatriates on whom health insurance has been implemented is reached four million, he added. He said the Health Insurance Council has agreements with all the concerned authorities like the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Interior. Health insurance document will be compulsory for the issuance and renewal of resident permits (Iqamas). Al-Mane' said the Health Insurance Council is carrying out several major functions including approving medical care service providers under the umbrella of cooperative health insurance.
