First phase of mandatory health insurance law in Qatar to focus on visitors

Qatar Cabinet approves draft executive regulations of Law No. 22 of 2021

The Minister of Public Health (MoPH) has affirmed that the mandatory health insurance law requires all residents and visitors to have health insurance through the insurance companies registered by the MoPH to provide them with basic health services.

To ensure the implementation of the law, the ministry said that it will follow a phased approach; with Phase 1 focusing on visitors, in line with certain provisions and measures that will be announced later.

The MoPH stressed that the draft executive regulations of Law No. 22 for 2021 regulating health services in Qatar, which came into effect this month, aim to enhance health services in the public and private sectors.

The Qatar Cabinet approved the draft executive regulations, which include detailed provisions of the aforementioned law.

This came at the Cabinet's regular meeting on May 18 at the Amiri Diwan, which was chaired by HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani, the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

Following the meeting, HE the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Sulaiti issued a statement giving the details of the proceedings.

The Cabinet approved the following two draft resolutions and took the necessary measures to issue them:

• Draft decision of HE the Minister of Public Health to issue the executive regulations of Law No. 22 of 2021 regulating health services in Qatar.
• Draft decision of HE the Minister of Public Health specifying the rights and duties of patients to be considered when receiving healthcare services.

The draft regulations include, among other things, provisions related to the rights and obligations of the beneficiary of healthcare services, the obligations of the insurance company and healthcare service providers, and the supervision and control of healthcare services.

"Making health insurance mandatory as part of the law means that all residents and visitors must have health insurance through the insurance companies registered by the ministry to provide them with basic health services," said MoPH in a statement.

Further, the MoPH stressed that implementing a health insurance system would help enhance competitiveness in providing healthcare, including the enhanced participation of insurance companies in supporting the State's healthcare sector.

Source: QNA