The ambiguity of national medical insurance • Al-Marsad newspaper

At the beginning, we must emphasize that the Kingdom, since its founding at the hands of the founder – may God have mercy on him – has been concerned with basic services for the citizen, such as health, education, and social services, and has not abandoned its responsibilities in the most difficult economic circumstances that the country has experienced. On the contrary, we find that what is spent on these Services such as education, health, and social services are equivalent to high percentages of financial allocations in the nation’s development plans. The issue of treatment and health services is unfair to treat as being late or not that efficient, but with the massive increase in the population, the public health system suffers from great pressure, especially in scheduling diseases and problems. Health care does not require postponement, and I am surprised by the Ministry’s interest in awareness campaigns for some diseases such as breast cancer. Which was launched weeks ago, and these are efforts for which the Ministry and the relevant authorities are grateful, but on the other hand, we find that the appointments scheduled for some women who have some suspected cases of this disease take months to transfer from health care centers to government public hospitals, which may increase the complications of the disease and make its treatment process difficult, especially The time factor is important in directing cancerous diseases.

The Minister of Health announced a few weeks ago the national medical insurance project, and this is news that society has been waiting for for years. It has stumbled many times due to the change of ministers, and every minister saw the insurance experience in that Western country as appropriate for us, and the next one comes and the plans change and the years pass and the citizen is unfortunately without insurance. Despite the billions of riyals that the state allocates to the government health sector, are what was announced about (National Insurance) and what the minister said that it will include all citizens and does not require renewal or approvals, and that it will cover the citizen from before birth to old age, these signs? Beautiful and optimistic, but some raise valid questions that what was mentioned does not give the patient the right to treatment in well-known private sector hospitals except in specific cases, and she cannot be treated in public sector hospitals or in emergency cases only, and some believe that not giving the citizen who holds the National Insurance card the right Choosing where to go for treatment, whether in a government or private hospital, violates the concept of insurance eligibility that the citizen hopes for in such a new organization. Are we only witnessing a change in form and not resolving the issue of treatment quickly and with high efficiency without waiting for months to perform a sensitive surgical operation related to life and death? I was I would like the Minister of Health and his team to explain more about the launch of National Insurance. Are there experiences in specific countries that have preceded us in this experience, or are we inventing a new system? But I am fully convinced that public policies, including such an important project for the citizen, will be approved, reviewed, and discussed in the Council of Economic Affairs, headed by His Highness the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will fill the gaps and mistakes that may occur and will be reviewed before its final approval. His Highness has emphasized on more than one occasion and in a television interview the issue of health insurance, and His Highness stressed that the final outcome will give the citizen the right to choose treatment between Private and government hospitals, and I believe this is what the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 programs seek to provide for the health and quality of life of citizens and residents of our dear homeland.

Quoted from Okaz.