The Health Insurance Team discussed in its 11^th meeting, chaired by Ahmed Ali Al Maamari, Vice President for Insurance Sector, the key developments in the preparation for implementation of the compulsory health insurance scheme for the employees of the private sector and visitors (Dhamani) with the participation of the members of the team representing the concerned entities. The meeting reviewed the execution of a number of works and projects relevant to the implementation of the scheme.

Al Maamari opened the meeting with review of the development of the project pointing out that implementation of the first phase is approaching and expressed happiness over the readiness of the legislative and regulatory  infrastructure  which is ready especially after the issuance of the standard health insurance policy, health insurance rules and the regulation of third party health insurance administrators (TPAs).  He commended the efforts exerted to build and execute the Dhamani electronic platform which will link insurance companies, private health institutions and TPAs in addition to linking the regulators such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labor, Royal Oman Police as well as Shifa system of the Ministry of Health to create unified medical record for exchange of patients’ information between the two  systems.

The Chairman of the Health Insurance Work Team commended the efforts of the concerned entities for their cooperation in enhancing the readiness of the project and integration of the roles to finalize the accompanying projects. He added the Dhamani scheme is one of the leading projects in the Sultanate and would contribute to achieving the national priorities of Oman Vision 2040 as it would  be an economic and social addition to the country to enhance the  partnership between the public and private sectors further to its role in promoting the work environment in the private sector through adding employment benefits and provide healthcare for the employees of the private sector beside furnishing  safe health environment for the visitors by providing treatment services according to new financing options that would alleviate  the burden on the public budget of the state. This effort would reflect positively on the quality of the health services provided by the Government to the citizens.

 Al Maamari expressed  optimism that the regulation of health insurance products  and implementation of Dhamani would contribute to attracting global healthcare institutions to invest in the health sector in Oman further to expanding  private healthcare in the various Governorates and Wilayats of the Sultanate as well as  providing employment opportunities in the insurance and health sectors for the graduates of the educational institutions.

The meeting also reviewed the key works accompanying the scheme such as the prices of treatment services in the private  health sector, the standards of quality of the services of private health institutions and the standards and requirement to curb fraud, overpricing  and abuse of the health benefits such as prescribing unnecessary medicines in the private health institutions.

The meeting was held in the context of the joint work between the entities concerned with implementation of health insurance for the employees of the private sector and visitors as per the decision of the Council of Ministers to assign the CMA to set up the regulatory infrastructure of the scheme.