Customer service opens for health insurance plan

The National Health Insurance Company (NHIC) has invited more clinics and hospitals to join the national health insurance scheme (NHIS) to be launched late next month.

NHIC yesterday announced the opening of its first customer service centre as part of preparations to launch the second phase.

“We have an excellent mix of medical facilities that are part of the NHIS provider network under stage one and we will be adding more quality public and private providers during stage two,” said Dr Faleh Mohamed Hussain Ali, acting CEO, NHIC.

“The network is open to all providers in Qatar who want to join, provided they meet our strict rules and criteria to ensure the best service possible for the beneficiaries,” he added.

The network currently includes HMC Women’s Hospital, Al Emadi Hospital, Al Ahli Hospital, Doha Clinic Hospital, Al Wakra Hospital, Al Khor Hospital, Cuban Hospital and Al Hayat Medical Centre. 

The second phase will see health insurance coverage expanded to include all Qataris for their basic health needs. The first phase covered Qatari females aged 12 and above for gynaecology, obstetrics, maternity and related health issues.

The new centre on the sixth floor of Amwal Tower in West Bay offers scheme members an additional level of support alongside the already operational call centre.

Its staff are on hand to assist members with any queries, including general information about the scheme and its roll-out, coverage, member rights and the network. Qatari women covered in the first phase will be able to make immediate use of the customer service centre which works from 8am to 5pm from Sunday to Thursday.

It will facilitate face-to-face interaction and staff will be responsible for receiving and following up on any issues or complaints. When fully launched by 2015, NHIS will provide universal health coverage to all people in Qatar.

Nationals, expatriates and visitors will have access to public and private healthcare providers, offering more quality and choice for their needs. 

Groundwork for the launch of the next stage included discussions with providers. Several lessons from phase one are being incorporated into the next stage to ensure as smooth an introduction as possible.

“Learning from each stage is a key reason for the phased roll-out of NHIS,” explained Faleh.

Information and updates on the scheme are available at NHIC website www.nhic.qa. Members can also call NHIC call centre on 4020 8444.

Source