Visitors need private health insurance • New fees to add over KD 200m to state coffers
KUWAIT: Health Minister Ahmad Al-Awadhi issued a decision on Sunday raising the annual health insurance fee for most expatriates to KD 100 and requiring visitors to obtain health insurance from approved private companies. The new decision was published in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm on Sunday and is effective from Dec 23.
The decision doubles and even more than triples the government’s health insurance fee to KD 100 for almost all types of residencies, including work residency and residency for dependents. Since it was introduced for the first time over a quarter of a century ago, the government’s health insurance has been KD 50 for workers and children 18 years and above, KD 40 for spouses and KD 30 for children below 18 years of age. Under the new decision, all categories pay KD 100.
It imposes a monthly fee of KD 5 for expats who arrive on entry visas seeking permanent residency in the country but requires those with visit visas to obtain health insurance from local private companies. It exempts Kuwaiti families from paying any health insurance for the first three domestic helpers and then KD 10 annually for any additional helpers. It however requires expats to pay KD 100 a year for their domestic helpers.
The government’s health insurance is KD 100 for expats working in the government and private sectors except agricultural workers, fishermen, shepherds and workers in dairy companies, who will pay only KD 10. Others who must pay KD 100 for government health insurance include investors, commercial partners, students, self-sponsored residents, real estate owners and stateless people after obtaining nationalities of other countries.
All types of dependents are also required to pay KD 100 a year in government health insurance, including parents. Cases exempt from the insurance include — widows or divorced wives of Kuwaiti men with children, male and female spouses of Kuwaiti citizens, foreign children of Kuwaiti women provided the women were not naturalized, and foreign parents and foreign children of Kuwaiti citizens.
Wives and children of Gulf citizens are required to pay just KD 10. Expats who stay on temporary residence pay KD 10 per month while domestic helpers on temporary residence are exempted. The decision states that the validity of the government’s insurance is linked to the validity of visit visas or permanent residencies and not to the passport’s validity.
The minister’s decision allows three types of health insurance: The government’s health insurance, private health insurance with specific local hospitals and health insurance with insurance companies. The decision states that no residence or visit visa will be issued or renewed without obtaining any of the three types of health insurance. The payment is made in coordination with the interior ministry and other related bodies. The amount must be paid by the Kuwaiti sponsor or the visitor.
Insurance companies must seek approval from the health ministry before offering health insurance under the law, the decision states. A special department in the ministry will oversee the work of private health facilities and insurance companies involved in the scheme.
The new health insurance regulation for expatriates in Kuwait is expected to generate annual revenue of more than KD 200 million, the health ministry said in a statement on Sunday. The new law will also help alleviate pressure on public health facilities while supporting the private health insurance sector, the ministry added. The law goes into effect Tuesday simultaneously with the new residency law, offering legislative and organizational integration, the ministry added.
