Salem Bin Ahmad Sahab
Many citizens complain about the fraud and manipulation which most health insurance companies seem to engage in. These companies seek to protect themselves from the endless bills they receive from hospitals that charge unrealistic sums. In a recent report published in Al-Hayat newspaper, insurance companies were threatening to terminate their contracts with some hospitals and to go to court to resolve their issues with these hospitals.
Other insurance companies have threatened to change their agreements with hospitals because of what they describe as “manipulation” that harms their businesses. In a statement from one of these companies, a manager said: “In the new year, there will be many changes in the policies of insurance companies and these will include the supervision of hospitals and will largely focus on losses that are increasing annually.”
It is a cycle of complaints that never ends. Eventually, it is the public that bears the brunt. Some companies resort to increasing their premiums to make up for what they call losses, when in fact these losses are insignificant and only slightly dent their profits.
The same thing happens when it comes to car insurance. In the end, car owners find that their insurance has increased even if they have a clear traffic record and have never had an accident. Some of these injustices include companies canceling a person’s insurance policy the minute it is sold to a second party. The company forces the new buyer to insure the car again. All of this happens under the nose of the supervisory agency that does not raise a finger. It is as if all this does not matter. Again it is the members of the public who are left to suffer.
Serious consideration must be paid to rules and regulations that need developing or replacing. The other issue that must be developed relates to the relationship between consumers and service providers or retailers. In addition to insurance companies, we have telecom companies, banks, private schools and the list goes on.
I do not want to categorize this price inflation as a way of burdening people so that officials become the target of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) prayer: “I will make things difficult for those who make things difficult for my Ummah.”
