Another delay to Oman’s Dhamani plan

Oman’s compulsory private health insurance Dhamani was due to begin in 2019 and was delayed. The next due date was mid-2020. A new delay due to the global pandemic means that the official line is that it will begin in late 2020. But the reality is that insurers do not expect it to start until 2021.

Dhamani is for employees of the private sector, residents, and visitors to Oman.

The rollout of Oman’s mandatory universal health insurance for private sector employees, domestic workers, and visitors to the Sultanate, aims to provide affordable health insurance to private sector employees and domestic workers, as well as visitors to Oman.

Dhamani mandatory health insurance will have an electronic platform that links the providers of health insurance, the health services, and customers as well as the government. Under the compulsory health insurance scheme, insurance companies are mandated to provide specific minimum health insurance cover.

Cover can only be written by insurance companies licensed in Oman so cannot be written on a non-admitted basis by foreign insurers. All health insurance claim management systems of insurer must be compatible with the electronic claims system applicable in Oman.

The new cover and private medical and international private medical insurance policies must include cover for medical tests and treatment costs related to the coronavirus for both nationals and expatriates