More retirees to benefit from law

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 5: A law has been passed to amend article 2 of law No. 114/2014 on “Afya” health insurance for retirees in order to add four new categories that will benefit from the law, reports Al-Anba daily.

The law states the following:

Article 1 - The text of article 2 of law No. 114/2014 referred to shall be replaced with the following text: The provisions of this law apply to:
1 - Retired citizens registered with the Public Institution for Social Security.
2 - Married Kuwaitis subject to the public aid law.
3 - Kuwaiti widows subject to the public aid law or Kuwaiti widows who receive their share from their deceased husbands in accordance with the Social Security Law and have reached 50 years of age.
4 - Kuwaiti divorcees who are subject to the public aid law and are less than 50 years of age. Other segments may be added by a decision issued by the minister.

Article 2 - The Prime Minister and the Ministers - each within his jurisdiction - shall implement this law, and it shall come into force three months from the date of its publication in the official gazette. The explanatory memorandum stated the following:- Because the state has a duty to ensure and provide public health, sensing the need of some segments of society to meet the burdens of health expenses and increase them, and since there are groups in society that find it difficult for them to bear the exorbitant costs of treatment, the law added a number of groups to the health insurance coverage stipulated in article 2 of law No. 114/2014 referred to, which are:-

1. Married Kuwaiti women subject to the public aid law, which was stipulated in decree No. 23/2013 for the linking and entitlement to public assistance. The decree defined in article 1 thereof: “Married Kuwaiti woman: A married Kuwaiti woman who has reached 55 years of age unless it is proven that there is source of her own income.” This segment was granted public aid, and it is the same category that the legislator decided to include in the health insurance services established in accordance with this law.

2 - Kuwaiti widows subject to the public aid law or Kuwaiti widows who receive their share from their deceased husbands in accordance with the Social Insurance Law and have reached the age of 50 years. This age was set to coincide with the age of retirement for women, and to encourage the government to reduce the age of Kuwaiti housewives who receive a monthly allowance from 55 years to 50 years. Some Kuwaiti women who are subject to the public aid law in the event of the death of their husbands, and are receiving their share of the husband’s retirement pension, are excluded from the umbrella of the public aid law. In order to ensure they do not lose the health insurance umbrella that is given to their peers, it has been stipulated that they be included in this law.

3 - Kuwaiti divorced women subject to the public aid law, and whose age is not less than 50 years. In conclusion, the authority of the Minister of Health to add any other segments was retained by his decision, because expanding the addition of new segments will contribute to reducing the burden and pressure on the departments of the Ministry of Health’s hospitals, reducing waiting lists of patients, and reducing the financial burden on their shoulders, while giving beneficiaries a wider choice in choosing the most appropriate healthcare setting for them.

In order to ensure that the ministry carries out all the preparatory work and administrative arrangements necessary for the implementation of this law in order to achieve the desired legislative goal, it has been stipulated that a period of three months be granted for the implementation of this law, starting after its publication in the official gazette.