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Read more informationThe Omani authorities have recently released that private sector companies will shortly be liable for providing health insurance to their employees. This statement was by Oman's Capital Market Authority (CMA). According to the authority, there is no prescribed date for the implementation of this new rule and such authority is only in the process of putting together preliminary plans to bring the necessary health insurance for all citizens in the Country.
The CMA has brought about this new provision to adequately meet the needs of employees employed in the private sector concerning their need of primary health coverage, as well as with the aim to curb excessive costs to the employers of the private sector due to current economic standards. The incorporation of these provisions is an attempt at unifying health insurance policies for the private sector. This reform comes in the wake of frightening statistics of how few employees in the private sector, both nationals, and expatriates, are provided with health insurance.
The stated aims of the new provision are the increase in the quality of the private sector health system, which would be impossible without the implementation of proper health financing in the private health sector. The compulsory medical insurance aims to curb the pressures placed on government-run medical facilities as the increasing population takes its toll on the resources.
The mandatory provision of health care also extends to all visitors to the region. The bringing out of the policy is an initiative brought about by the Health Ministry and the Royal Oman Police. The process which will be utilized to ensure compliance by visitors is the issuing of health insurance at the border posts, and thus there will be a noticeable impact of the immigration process in Oman.
The implementation of this provision is in the wake of the announcement made in 2017 in regards to compulsory health insurance. In order to put this into action, the CMA has been drafting a unified health insurance policy for private sector employees and their families. This new policy is to ensure healthy competition and to avoid any future irregularities by insurance companies to provide the customer with proper primary health cover.
The Financial Regulator has reviewed the plan for implementation, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Manpower, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, insurance companies, health service providers in Oman and Oman Medical Association. The rollout of the implementation of compulsory medical insurance in the private sector will be rolled out in phases throughout the year of implementation.
The initial phases at the beginning of 2018 were that all Excellent Grade companies and all companies with more than 100 employees and all consultancy firms were to conform to the new regulations. Following this, the second phase was that from May 2018, all A-Grade companies as well as companies who have under their employment, 50 or more employees, must conform to the new policy. The implementation of the final phase will be in 2019 will all other companies were obliged to comply with the policy.