Article 8 of the Saudi Cooperative Health Insurance Law
المادة 8 من نظام الضمان الصحي التعاوني
The employer may expand cooperative health insurance services through additional appendices at additional cost to include diagnostic and treatment services beyond those in Article 7.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجوز لصاحِب العمل توسيع مجال خدمات الضمان الصحي التعاوني ،بموجب ملاحِق إضافية، وبتكلِفة إضافية لتشمل خدمات تشخيصية وعلاجية أُخرى أكثر مِّما نُص عليه في المادة السابِقة.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 8 explained in plain English
This article gives the employer the option of expanding the health coverage of his workers. He may expand the scope of cooperative health insurance services:
- through additional appendices to the policy.
- at additional cost.
- to include other diagnostic and treatment services beyond what is provided in the previous article.
The previous article is Article 7, which sets the basic health services in the policy: examination and treatment in clinics and medicines, preventive measures such as vaccinations and maternal and child care, laboratory and radiological tests the condition requires, hospital stay and treatment including childbirth and surgeries, and treatment of dental and gum diseases except orthodontics and artificial dentures.
Article 7 therefore sets the mandatory minimum, and this article opens the door to broader coverage. If an employer wanted the insurance to include, for example, orthodontics, which is excluded from the basic coverage, he could do so by an additional appendix and additional cost.
The word "may" means that expansion is optional for the employer and not an obligation on him under this article. The article does not specify which of the employer and the worker bears the additional cost, or the conditions of the appendices.
Practical example
A technology company in Riyadh wants to attract talent and decides to add to the health insurance policy of its resident employees an appendix covering orthodontics and artificial dentures. This is permitted under this article through an additional appendix and additional cost.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 8 of the Saudi Cooperative Health Insurance Law
Can the health insurance coverage for employees be increased?
Yes. The employer may expand health insurance services through additional appendices and at additional cost.
Is the employer required to provide more than the basic insurance?
No. The article makes expansion permitted for the employer, not obligatory.
What services can be added to the insurance?
Other diagnostic and treatment services beyond those provided in Article 7, which the article does not specify.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Health Insurance Policy Coverage
- Article 7
The article lists the basic health services a cooperative health insurance policy covers, from examinations and medicines to hospital stays, childbirth, surgery and dental treatment.
تُغطي وثيقة الضمان الصحي التعاوني الخدمات الصحية الأساسية الآتية : أ - الكشف الطبي والعلاج في العيادات، والأدوية. ب - الإجراءات الوقائية مِثل: التطعيمات، ورعاية
- Article 9
The arrangement of preventive health measures, such as tests and vaccines, for those covered by the insurance in the period before the policy is issued is made by decision of the Minister of Health.
يتم ترتيب ما يتعلق بالإجراءات الوقائية الصحية التي يخضع لها المشمولون بالضمان بما في ذلك الفحوصات واللُّقاحات في المُدة التي تسبِق إصدار وثيقة الضمان الصحي التع
- Article 11
Government health facilities may, when needed, provide the services covered by a policy to its holder for a fee borne by the health insurance body, with the Council determining the facilities and the fee.
أ - يجوز عند الحاجة تقديم الخدمات الصحية المشمولة في وثيقة الضمان الصحي التعاوني لحامِلها مِن قِبل المرافِق الصحية الحُكومية، وذلك بمُقابِل مالي تتحملُه جهة الض
- Article 16
The Ministry of Health monitors the quality assurance of the health services provided to cooperative health insurance beneficiaries.
تتولى وزارة الصحة مُراقبة ضمان جودة ما يُقدم مِن خدمات صحية للمُستفيدين مِن الضمان الصحي التعاوني.
- Article 17
Cooperative health insurance is applied through qualified Saudi cooperative insurance companies operating on the cooperative insurance model, in accordance with Resolution No. (51) of the Council of Senior Scholars.
يتم تطبيق الضمان الصحي التعاوني عن طريق شركات تأمين تعاونية سعودية مؤهلة، تعمل بأسلوب التأمين التعاوني على غِرار ما تقوم بِه الشركة الوطنية للتأمين التعاوني ، و
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.