Health Council studies insurance status of non-Bahraini widows

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Non-Bahraini widows of Bahraini men are under review for inclusion among the groups treated as citizens in Bahrain’s compulsory health insurance scheme, according to a written reply from the Health Ministry.

The ministry said the Supreme Council of Health is studying a recommendation to keep this group covered so they can go on receiving the same health care services they had during their husbands’ lifetimes.

The move forms part of work to review and organise the categories included in the health insurance system in line with the purposes of the Health Insurance Law.

Response

The response was sent to Shura Council member Nancy E. Khedouri, who had asked about the legal status of a non-Bahraini widow after the death of her Bahraini husband and whether she retains the right to benefit from services granted under Health Insurance Law No. 23 of 2018.

She also asked if there was any plan to list such widows among the ‘other categories’ treated as citizens in the compulsory scheme, in a way that takes account of their social and humanitarian circumstances.

The ministry began by thanking Ms Khedouri for following health sector developments, in particular the scope of compulsory health insurance, the groups covered and the benefits to be provided to them under the packages mentioned in the law.

It then cited Article 26 of the law, which states that compulsory health insurance applies to all citizens, residents and visitors.

The same article provides that certain residents are treated in the same way as citizens: a non-Bahraini woman married to a Bahraini man, a non-Bahraini man married to a Bahraini woman, and the children of a Bahraini woman married to a non-Bahraini man.

It also leaves room for ‘other categories’ living in the Kingdom to be specified by Cabinet decision based on a recommendation from the Supreme Council of Health.

On this basis, the ministry noted that all Bahraini citizens, residents and visitors fall within the compulsory health insurance scheme, with some residents placed on the same footing as citizens for the purposes of that scheme.

The law gives the Supreme Council of Health the option to recommend adding further categories to this group and to raise such recommendations to the Cabinet so that the necessary decision can be issued in line with the public interest. The reply added that the council, drawing on studies and statistics, is identifying additional groups that need to be included and treated.