Transferring Health Insurance responsibilities from the Council of Health Insurance to the Insurance Authority

Starting today, March 4, 2024, all health insurance responsibilities will be transferred from the Council of Health Insurance (CHI) to the Insurance Authority (IA). This transfer completes the Authority's establishment objective, which began its operations on November 23, 2023. The Insurance Authority has a dual mandate, to regulate and promote growth of the insurance sector in the Kingdom.

Engineer Naji Al-Faisal Al-Tamimi, the CEO of the Insurance Authority, expressed gratitude to the Council of Health Insurance’s leadership and staff for their contributions and achievements. He emphasized that the Authority is committed to continuing the successful journey in health insurance, now that it has a unified mandate covering all insurance sectors. The Authority's mission is to regulate the insurance sector in the Kingdom, promote efficiency and effectiveness, protect policyholders' rights, enhance the stability of the insurance sector, and increase insurance awareness among the public, all in the interest of public good.

The CEO highlighted that this is part of the Authority's plans to develop a sustainable insurance sector in line with international standards. The objective is to provide insurance protection for everyone, create an attractive environment for local and foreign investment, promote competition in the insurance sector, improve services, diversify insurance products, and increase the insurance sector's contribution to non-oil GDP.

The CEO reassured that the transition will be seamless, without impacting insurance policies or ongoing claims. The existing rules and regulations will continue to be enforced, ensuring that policyholders and beneficiaries will receive their rights as per their existing terms and conditions. This continuity reflects the Authority's commitment to the welfare of the public.

Al-Tamimi explained that starting from March 4, 2024, the Insurance Authority will manage all health insurance-related complaints and queries. The Authority has eased the process for handling old and new complaints through various channels. These include the complaints toll-free number (8001240551), the online portal (care.ia.gov.sa), and the ‘IA CARE’ consumer protection account on the "X" platform. This reflects the Authority's commitment to ensure that every voice is heard and every concern is addressed.