Kuwait company to incrementally increase health insurance premium for expatriates over next decade

Dubai: Kuwait’s Dhaman Health Assurance Hospitals Company has announced an adjustment to the annual health insurance premium for expatriates, raising it from the existing 130 dinars (around Dh1,545) to 150 dinars over the next two years.

Subsequently, the premium will increase gradually every two years, reaching 190 dinars by the end of the tenth year. This move comes after a decade of unchanged premiums, despite rising healthcare costs and inflationary pressures.

While the company remains committed to implementing cost control measures, they argue that an increase in the premium is necessary to ensure the economic sustainability of the project. The company also retains the right to raise fees for health centre reviews if inflation exceeds 6 percent, bypassing the need for official approval.

Over the course of the next decade, primary health centre consultation fees will incrementally rise from 2.5 dinars to 3.5 dinars. Emergency fees will also increase, going from 4 dinars to 5 dinars in the tenth year.

The revised health insurance policy will require expatriates to cover all their medical expenses, including x-rays, examinations, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, medications, hospital admissions, and stays.

Despite this envisioned increase, the company has been grappling with delays in document issuance, a setback attributed to the Ministry of Health’s procrastination in authorising the inauguration of hospitals in regions like Al Ahmadi and Al Jahra. This bureaucratic lapse has spurred a spike in pre-expenses, a development that has weighed heavily on the company.

To mitigate this, a mandate has been drafted obligating the Ministry to offer specialized healthcare amenities to Dhaman’s beneficiaries, with a ceiling on the upfront payment set at 5 per cent of the beneficiary’s guarantee value.