Kuwait medical liability law soon to be implemented

Ground has been broken at the first hospital for expatriates. It is part of a plan to build three hospitals and set up 15 medical centres to cater to expatriates and to reduce crowding at public hospitals and primary healthcare centres.

In 2014, the government established a shareholding company to build the three 700-bed hospitals and 15 clinics to provide integrated medical services to foreigners in Kuwait. The government owns 24% of the company’s shares, while 26% is owned Arabi Holding Group. The remaining 50% will be offered in an initial public offering.

Expatriates will have to pay a health insurance fee of KWD130 (US$431) annually, covering primary and secondary healthcare in the system. They will be barred from seeking treatment in government hospitals. The new fee is much higher than the KWD50 health insurance fee currently being paid by an expat.

Around three million expats work in Kuwait, two million in the private sector and whom the new healthcare system mainly targets.

It is unclear what kind of health insurance coverage will be arranged for expats who work in the public sector.