Healthcare in Qatar Many changes and improvements have been introduced since the country opened its first hospital over 60 years ago. Billions of dollars are being spent on improving and expanding Qatar's healthcare system to cope with the rise in population. According to the World Health Organization, Qatar is spending more money per capita on healthcare than any other country in the Gulf. The healthcare system is available to all – nationals, expatriates and visitors. The public healthcare service provides free or extremely subsidised healthcare; the exception to this may be treatment for highly specialised services. Under a new health insurance law (see below), expatriates and visitors have to provide proof of medical insurance. Residents should check with their employer to see what health insurance is provided, or contact one of the insurance companies to take extra personal cover – see Day to Day Qatar in this section for a list of companies.
Healthcare in Qatar
Healthcare News Mandatory health insurance law passed regulating healthcare services Law No 22 of 2021 regulating healthcare services in the country was passed by the Amir, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in October 2021.
Under the system, expatriates will need to acquire health insurance for any family members residing in the country.
Over the years, expatriates and visitors have been able to access basic public healthcare for free by paying a nominal fee for a government health card and heavily subsidised medication. Employers have not been obliged to provide additional private health insurance. However, Qatar's growing population has placed a heavy burden on the national health system.
The law will come into effect six months after its publication in the Official Gazette (ie in April 2022). Mandatory health insurance will then be necessary – during this six-month period, services will continue to be provided to all residents. The ministry will issue details regarding the application of the law and the health insurance system.
The new law states that a mandatory health insurance system will be implemented for all resident expatriates and visitors to the country, providing basic healthcare services via healthcare providers in government health facilities and the private sector, according to the provisions of the insurance policy. The provisions of the law oblige that the employer provides health insurance for all non-Qatari workers through insurance companies registered with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), in order to provide them with basic insurance coverage. This is for all expatriates including domestic workers and labourers. The same obligation to provide basic coverage applies to recruiters bringing in new employees.
The Department of Insurance and Finance at MoPH will be the supervisory body for the entire project, with several levels for filing complaints, whether from individual beneficiaries, insurance companies or health facilities. Commenting on the new law, the MoPH stated that the health insurance system will lead to the development of the health sector and services provided to the public. The challenges facing the healthcare sector resulting from the steady population growth will be alleviated, via the participation of the public and private sectors in providing healthcare services to the population. This in turn will reduce waiting times in government health facilities and provide easier and quicker appointments for medical consultations, while simultaneously meeting the health needs of the population at the highest level of quality. Qatari citizens will continue to be provided with necessary health services at all health facilities within the country without the need for health insurance, as it is the responsibility of the state. Read updates about the law as they are released on marhaba.qa, sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on social media.
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