As health insurance hike looms, questions remain on future of healthcare for expats

As health insurance hike looms, questions remain on future of healthcare for expats

By Ahmad Jabr and Chidi Emmanuel

KUWAIT: Foreign residents in Kuwait could be required to pay a KD 130 annual health insurance fee instead of the current KD 50 to renew their visas as early as 2023, according to a recent report by Al-Rai quoting sources at the Health Assurance Hospitals Company (Dhaman). While the increase is far from confirmed, residents realize it’s inevitable, as plans to introduce a new health insurance system for the country’s expatriate community have been in the works for years.

But many foreign workers have voiced concerns over the proposed hike. “It will surely come to pass. A bill like this always starts like a rumor or unconfirmed report, but before you know it, it will become a law. I pray the authorities will not approve this; otherwise, it will hurt a lot of people and families who are already struggling to survive in Kuwait,” Filipino expat Margaret Angelo told Kuwait Times.

The current plan is for Dhaman to provide health services to residents covered under its insurance plan through a network of new hospitals and clinics distributed around Kuwait. The company is currently finalizing preparations to inaugurate the first hospital in its network, which is likely to