Author(s): Mohammed Hassan Al-Kaabi
A health insurance contract is a private contract between individual entities (usually an insurance company and an individual). A health insurance company is needed to manage risks, and it accounts for them by placing insured individuals in the risk pool. In this way, individuals do not suffer the full economic consequences of their purchasing behaviour and are able to shift the uncertain but potentially costly burden to all policyholders. However, healthcare is a public concern, as it is a constitutional right in Qatar, but no government, no matter how wealthy, can alone finance healthcare. Health insurance is a ?nancing mechanism for healthcare, and therefore, Qatar's government established the National Health Insurance Company (NHIC). The story of the NHIC did not end well, as the company was dissolved. What happened, and what shall be done? To improve Qatar's health insurance scheme, the state must make a rational economic choice and shift the scheme to the private health insurance market with government intervention through regulations.