New Charges On Expats And Visitors By Moh

Kuwait's Ministry of Health has announced new fees for expatriates and visitors seeking specific healthcare services. Minister of Health, Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi, has detailed these fees in a recent decision, while noting that certain groups of people treated as Kuwaitis will remain exempt. Al-Anba daily reports that the fees exclude Kuwaiti patients, emergency or critical cases, cancer patients, non-Kuwaiti children, and other humanitarian cases. The new fees specifically target non-emergency and pre-scheduled operations for non-citizens.

The move aims to preserve the national strategic stock of blood and its derivatives. The decision affects government hospital and clinic services for expatriates registered with the health insurance system, as well as those receiving services from the Blood Transfusion Services Department, which operates 37 laboratories.

Fees for residents range between 0.5 and 15 Kuwaiti dinars, while visitors' fees start at 5 dinars and go up to 70 dinars. Blood bag exchange services are set at 20 dinars per bag for residents and 40 dinars for visitors. Patients are exempt from blood bag fees if there is a donor for each blood bag or its derivative.

Certain groups treated as Kuwaitis are exempt from these fees, as outlined in the decision text:

Article One: Non-Kuwaiti patients residing and registered in the health insurance system shall pay fees for laboratory tests carried out in the Blood Transfusion Services Department's 37 labs, as well as service fees for dispensing blood bags and their derivatives at a rate of 20 dinars per bag.

Article Two: Non-Kuwaiti visiting patients not registered in the health insurance system shall pay fees for laboratory tests in Blood Transfusion Services Department labs, as well as service fees for dispensing blood bags and their derivatives at a rate of 40 dinars per bag.

Article Three: Patients are exempt from fees specified in Articles 1(b) and 2(b) if there is a donor for each blood bag or its derivative.

Article Four: Fees mentioned in Articles 1 and 2 shall be included in automated systems, as applicable, across all facilities providing these services.

Article Five: Ministerial decisions regarding exemptions for specific categories and cases treated as Kuwaitis will continue to be enforced.

Article Six: This decision shall be implemented from its date and published in the Official Gazette.

Another decision issued includes additional stipulations for private medical sectors, including fees for laboratory analyses in Blood Transfusion Services Department labs, and fees for dispensing blood bags and their derivatives at 20 dinars per bag. Private medical facilities are required to exempt patients from fees for dispensing blood bags and their derivatives if there is a donor for each blood bag or its derivative. The private medical sector is responsible for blood transfusion services to and from Blood Transfusion Services Department labs, ensuring transport meets Ministry of Health standards and controls.

The Ministry reiterates that patients are exempt from all fees if there is a donor for each blood bag or its derivative and wishes everyone good health and safety.

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