Health Insurance: Health care for all at affordable cost.

(From Gulf News)

What do you do when you suddenly fall sick, the hospital bills pile up and you do not have medical insurance? It's a terrible situation not only for you but also for your relatives and friends. The Ministry of Health is studying a compulsory social health insurance plan which will be an alternative to private health insurance. Officials say it should be ready within a year. This way everyone will have access to quality health care at reasonable cost. But insurance companies feel they have been given a raw deal. They argue that the premium for the scheme was fixed in 2000, and that costs have risen sharply since then. Barbara Bibbo' looks at the issue

The Ministry of Health is planning to introduce a new social health insurance (SHI) system soon allowing a larger number of people to have access to quality medical care at an affordable price.

The ministry is currently studying the plan, but officials said they hope it …