RIYADH: The Saudi Council of Cooperative Health Insurance and the country’s Ministry of Labor and Social Development will carry out joint inspections to make sure that companies provide mandatory medical insurance to their employees and their family members both Saudis and non-Saudis.
Errant companies will be fined and banned from recruiting employees, Arab News quoted official spokesman for the council, Yasser bin Ali Al-Ma’arik, as saying.
Al-Ma’arik reportedly said Article 2 of the Council of Cooperative Health Insurance mentions that medical insurance should be provided by companies to all individuals and their family members included in the system.
According to Article 14, if an employer did not pay for the health insurance of an employee and his family members who are eligible for health coverage, he will be forced to pay from retrospective effect, in addition to a fine not more than the annual subscription for each individual. At the same time, the employer will be banned from recruiting employees, either for good or for a certain period of time.
“The council seeks to develop a working mechanism to secure employees’ interests and ensure provision of health care services to them in accordance with the CCHI. It also wants to come up with solutions that enable employees to benefit from the necessary health care system,” Al-Ma’arik said.
He called on all parties involved in the health insurance sector to inquire or make suggestions through the unified contact number 920001177, the portal www.cchi.gov.sa and via electronic communication channels such as the email:[email protected], Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, reported the Saudi Arabia-based news portal.
