A contract for the implementation of the health insurance information exchange platform — the centrepiece of the Mandatory Health Insurance System (Dhamani) due to be rolled out in the Sultanate — has been awarded to a consortium led by well-known Omani IT solutions specialist Infoline.
Muscat-headquartered Infoline has been named by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) — the regulator for the insurance sector in the Sultanate — as the ‘Solutions Partner’ for the Dhamani platform. IQVIA CORE, a leading global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions and contract research services to the life sciences industry, is Infoline’s Technology Partner in the delivery of the platform.
According to a CMA official, Infoline was chosen from among 15 local and international firms that had bid for the prestigious contract to develop the Dhamani platform in the Sultanate. A detailed Request for Proposals (RfP) prepared in consultation with the Ministry of Technology and Communications (MTC) garnered interest from around 29 local and global businesses.
“An expert subcommittee comprising of the CMA, MTC and Ministry of Health carried out a detailed technical and commercial evaluation (of the bids) where the top three finalists were presented to the CMA purchasing committee,” said Dr Mohamed Ghazaly, Medical Insurance Expert — Directorate General of Insurance Supervision at the CMA.
“The award of the tender was completed in February 2020 to the finalist vendor (Infoline), a renowned local company partnering with an international expert organisation (IQVIA CORE). Development and implementation of the project will kick off in Q2 2020.”
Dr Ghazaly made the announcement in a presentation on the Dhamani Platform during the Middle East Healthcare Insurance Conference 2020, which opened at the Crowne Plaza Muscat on Tuesday. The two-day event has been organised by Middle East Insurance Review with the support of the CMA.
The expert described the Dhamani electronic exchange platform as the nerve centre of the Unified Mandatory Health Insurance System that will leverage technology to ensure the successful implementation of the scheme.
“It is an integral part of the compulsory health insurance system that will integrate stakeholders within the payer-provider-regulatory setting into a single platform. This will include the payment gateway, insurance marketplace and data warehouse, in addition to basic features in a similar solution,” he said.
The electronic platform, Dr Ghazaly further noted, will offer electronic validation and verification of insured parties, facilitate electronic claims exchange, enable e-authorisation of medical services, e-prescriptions, e-payments, e-complaints and customer monitoring services. It also incorporates a Marketplace for insurance companies, agents and brokers to showcase their products in a one-stop shop setting. “This will enable consumers to compare, contrast and customise their desired insurance products,” he added.
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