Sep 13 2009 |
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Saudi health premiums rise by 40% as H1N1 weighs down on insurers
Riyadh: Swine flu has taken its toll on the Saudi health insurance sector as premiums have shot up by an average 40 per cent. This is in addition to 3,500 cases of infection and 26 fatalities.Earlier, several insurance companies in the kingdom refused to cover expenses relating to swine flu on the pretext that insurance policies do not cover epidemics.
However, the government directive to both government and private hospitals to provide treatment for swine flu patients forced them to change their stance.
"Hence, the only thing that we can do is to increase the insurance premium," he said.
He also noted that international insurance companies, with whom Saudi insurers are closely associated, were refusing to cover H1N1-related treatment.
"They force us either to increase premiums to such an extent or refuse coverage," he said.
According to an official, this could be resolved through a study carried out by the Saudi Health Insurance Council.
"The insurance companies do not want to incur losses. Increases in premium[s] can be justified as swine flu is a new disease [that is] not covered under any insurance policy and that insurance policies do not cover the disease as it is a pandemic," the official said.
There are about seven million policyholders in the kingdom.
By Abdul Rahman Shaheen
© Gulf News 2009
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