The Cooperative
Health Insurance Council confirmed that all follow-up procedures for pregnancy
and delivery, along with the accompanying tests and diagnosis, are included in
the benefits stated in the health insurance policy after receiving several queries
on this subject through social media and direct contact.
The official spokesman
of the Council, Mr. Yasser Al-Marik, indicated in an exclusive statement to Al Riyadh
that “health insurance policy covers all expenses of medical examination,
medicines, tests and radiographic tests, as well as the expenses of hospitalization.
It also covers, in addition to the expenses of pregnancy and delivery, the expenses
of early screening of newborns to detect and reduce the disability rate, as
well as the follow-up expenses of pregnancy and delivery resulting from artificial
fertilization and insemination”.
Al-Marik,
however, exempted from this coverage any pre-pregnancy treatment expenses,
saying: “The insurance policy does not undertake to cover the expenses of
treatment related to pre-pregnancy methods, namely, artificial insemination, stimulants,
infertility treatments, sexual dysfunction, subfertility or artificial
fertilization. However, it undertakes to cover all expenses entailed by preventive
measures such as vaccinations, including seasonal vaccination, and maternal and
child care in accordance with the instructions issued by the Ministry of Health...”
He indicated
that the limit of financial coverage in the health insurance policy is 500
thousand riyals which provides a package of benefits covering the expenses of
treatment and health care. Moreover, it covers the expenses of hospitalization and
patient subsistence in a shared room with a maximum of 150 riyals per day. It
also covers the emergency expenses of pregnancy follow-up and obstetrical
emergencies with a maximum of 15 thousand riyals. In addition, the insurance
covers childbirth and treatment expenses of premature infants within the
maximum benefit of the policy, as well as the expenses of early screening of
newborns “to reduce the disability rate” with a maximum of 100 thousand riyals.
Al-Marik noted that, in any case, the system does not allow issuing a health
insurance policy with less benefits than those stated in the policy.
Al-Marik also called
upon the insured to be aware of their insurance rights by reviewing the
cooperative health insurance system, the implementing regulations and the
unified policy. In addition to this, he recommended that the insured benefit
from the communication channels for responding to all inquiries and receiving
feedback, suggestions and complaints through one of the following channels: customer
care number 920001177, the electronic portal
www.cchi.gov.sa, e-mail info@cchi.gov.sa, smart phone applications,
or the Council official webpages cchi.ksa on social media channels (Twitter,
Facebook and LinkedIn).
