Which Health Insurance do you have?

Monday, 05 March 2007
By Sabria S Jawhar
The Saudi Gazette

THIS was the first question the receptionist in a private hospital in Jeddah asked me when I brought my sick mother to his hospital. At that time, I could not figure out the reason behind his question. I thought he was assuming that all Saudis have health insurance. The receptionist showed respect and care. He also wore a wide smile that did not raise any suspicion in me. I thought he was being nice to us.

But after five days when my mother was about to leave the hospital I found out the reason behind the question and the nice, wide smile. I also found out that we were nothing but easy prey for those private hospitals.
Most Saudis don’t believe in health insurance. Some of them think that insurance is gambling and reject it from a religious point of view despite the fact the religious scholars have approved of it – but under certain conditions.

Others simply do not believe that sickness can hit without a warning. To tell you the truth, I was among those who have been rejecting the idea of paying up for insurance while I’m still young and healthy. But when I started working, I received health insurance from my company and that made me feel secure. Health insurance also encouraged me to see a doctor at every symptom, even if it was only a cold or flu.

The lack of fear of a big bill also made me encourage all my family members to go to a private hospital where they’d find better care than in a government one. This, however, did not last long when I received my mother’s bill: SR12,000 for five days of primarily health care!

I lost confidence in private hospitals.

I was shocked because I knew that what they offered my mother would never amount to so much. The guest dinner, breakfast and lunch that they insisted on sending to our room would not be so costly even in a five-star hotel. I quietly paid the bill but asked for a detailed one. The receptionist was a bit hesitant to give it to me but finally he came up with a general one that categorized the services as following: housing and accommodation, guest food, medical services, laboratory services, and senior medical consultation.

The bill did not make sense to me. So I asked for another detailed one. I found out that even tissues, gloves and alcohol swabs were included. Fair enough, but to pay half a riyal for each swab while you can get 100 for 5 riyals was an exaggeration and simply nonsensical.

But worse, they duplicated every single procedure they had done for my mother. For instance, they registered two X-rays, though she had only one. When I raised it with the medical director, he said that maybe the first one was not good and so they had to repeat it. Well, why should the poor patients pay for staff incompetence? And if they have to, why pay the entire amount again? As if SR80 was not enough for one X-ray.

Up until that point, I was nice and polite with the director but when I found out that they also doubled the complete blood chemistry test, when both samples – according to the bill – were taken at the same time, I questioned such procedure.

At that time I felt sad for my country and my people who have become easy prey for any swindler who knows how to take advantage of them. As if the stock market has left them something to eat. Now they have to worry not only about their safety at government hospitals but also their own living at private ones.

My advice to you is to get health insurance or at least double check your bill before paying.

For those jobless but educated, you can seize the chance and start your own ‘checking medical bill’ office. You will make more than you did in the stock market. At least no “Hamoors” to be worried about.