More and more countries around the world are seeking to adopt laws and regulations related to compulsory health insurance, enabling their citizens to secure the required treatment in a timely manner. Insurance-backed healthcare systems relieve the burden on governmental and official health institutions. Several Arab countries have begun to embrace insurance-backed healthcare and are working to achieve financial sustainability of their healthcare systems, as well as sustainable supplies medicines and treatments. It also ensures the provision of quality services through government and private institutions and hospitals.
However, with many governments around the world dealing with labour related challenges, such unemployment, retrenchment and unpaid wages, there is added pressure on government institutions and hospitals that are obliged to provide free health services to their citizens.
In many Arab countries, energy companies, as well as banking, financial, logistical and insurance institutions, especially those managed by giant local and foreign companies, are providing their employees and families with health insurance services. This contributes to keeping their employees healthy and productivity.
Today, health insurance companies around the world are employing technological applications that rely on artificial intelligence in making decisions to provide health services to its citizens efficiently.
Here in the Sultanate of Oman, the Capital Market Authority, which supervises insurance companies in the country, regulates health insurance services for workers in private sector institutions, and provides insurance claims filing, follow-up and treatment services in accordance with the necessary controls in this regard. This project helps to streamline the implementation of mandatory health insurance for workers in the private sector and visitors to the country. As a result, health insurance activities in the local market are witnessing an annual growth, and an increase in the number of health insurance policy holders. The system contributes to the safety and accuracy of transactions related to health insurance services with high quality. In addition it reduces the disputes that occur between insurance companies and private health institutions related to claims.
The spread of health insurance activities and services in any country expands the role of the insurance sector to accommodate the outputs of educational institutions as well, as it contributes to providing opportunities for job-seekers, whether in the medical, insurance, administrative, technical, or accounting fields. Today, insurance companies in Oman cover medical treatments provided to health insurance policyholders, while also showing interest in training and qualifying health workers in those institutions to be aware of how to use coding systems in the field of health insurance and to manage claims.
These steps will accelerate the achievement of the goals of Oman 2040, enable digital transformation, promote e-governance, provide electronic services to customers in the insurance sector, and ensure the provision of these services at the best quality and levels.
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