By Mohammed Al-Abdullah and Abdul Rahman Al-Misbahi

DAMMAM/JEDDAH – Insurance companies refuse to provide medical coverage to applicants who have crossed 70 and put difficult conditions such as a medical report to avoid them.

“They are asking medical reports in order to fix a suitable premium for clients who have crossed the age of 70,” said the relative of an elderly person who requested anonymity.

Some companies have opened a special section to deal with such cases.

Okaz/Saudi Gazette conducted a survey of medical insurance services being provided to people who have exceeded 70 and found that most companies charged high premiums for them.

The premium charged by a company for clients aged 66 and above was five or six times more than normal premiums for people aged below 55 years. The difference was so huge that health insurance for the elderly cost SR14,000 while it is only SR1,850 for others.

Some companies extended their services to the elderly without making any specific conditions. However, they have increased the prices depending on the age of clients.

Some insurance firms inform clients of their inability to provide the service after looking at the age of clients but the service is extended to all members of the Saudi family irrespective of the age difference.

“With regard to expats, their employers are paying for their insurance policies,” one official said.

Adel Al-Eissa, a spokesman for insurance companies, said: “We are committed to provide mandatory insurance to all workers in the private sector and their families irrespective of their age.”

He stressed that insurance companies would not consider age while extending health insurance services. “A private sector worker will receive medical insurance as long as he or she works with a company or establishment.”

Insurance expert Ziyad Al-Qassim said companies provide insurance cover to all workers irrespective of their age and number. “They do not issue insurance policies to individuals. So a retired employee will not receive insurance as long as he or she is not part of a group.”

The value of the policy would differ depending on the service offered, the number of hospitals involved and their level of service. “We can get insurance policies for SR500 and SR1,000 depending on services offered and the client has to bear 20 percent of the cost of treatment,” he said.

Mohammed Al-Qarnas, president of the Retirees Association’s branch in the Eastern Province, said he was not aware of any problems the retirees faced in receiving medical insurance.

“Retirees of semi government companies do not face this problem at all,” he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. For example, Saudi Aramco provides healthcare services to all retired staff members.

Al-Qarnas ruled out the possibility of companies refusing medical insurance coverage to retirees who have crossed 60. “We should know that insurance companies issue their policies on the basis of conditions they have set for different clients,” he added.