AMMAN – The President
of the
Jordanian Insurance Companies Federation, Majed Smairat, stated on
Sunday that the decision made by the Doctors Syndicate to halt the acceptance
of insurance cases, except for emergencies, next month, is "illegal."
اضافة اعلان
Samirat further added that the
Doctors Syndicate has been striving for some time to increase fees by up to 400
percent, and he affirmed that this decision does not have any connection to the
insurance companies, Ammon News reported.
He pointed out that the Syndicate's
decision is in violation of Article 20 of the Competition Law, describing it as
"illegal." He urged the Ministries of Industry, Trade, and Health to
promptly address this situation.
On the other hand, Ziad Al-Zoubi, the head of
the Doctors Syndicate, indicated that the issuance of a new fee schedule is
within their legal rights, and this was the only option left after negotiations
with insurance companies failed. He clarified that the new fee schedule
incorporates a 30 percent price increase.
Al-Zoubi went on to clarify that the Union's
assertion that doctors' fees would increase by 400 percent, as claimed by the
Insurance Companies Union, is entirely untrue.
According to Article 20-J of the
Competition Law, any association or private entity responsible for regulating a profession
or safeguarding the interests of economic or commercial establishments is
prohibited from issuing decisions that disrupt or restrict competition,
contrary to the provisions of this law or any other legislation. Violators may
be subject to penalties outlined in paragraph (b) of this article.
Smairat stressed that insurance companies
firmly reject such a decision made by the Syndicate "individually,"
without coordinating with all relevant parties involved in medical billing. He
explained that "the Syndicate is attempting to pressure insurance
companies into approving the fee increase, which is unacceptable when citizens'
welfare is at stake."
"Insurance companies cover only 8
percent of the total medical bill cost in Jordan, as they are just one of
several entities that contribute to the medical expenses paid by
citizens," Smairat explained.
He issued a warning that "if the
government fails to intervene and regulate this matter, it will lead to severe
consequences that will compromise healthcare security. Everyone will bear the
repercussions, especially uninsured citizens and economic institutions. Social
security will also be affected, and the government's failure to address this
issue may result in the decline of medical tourism aspirations."
The Jordanian Doctors Syndicate Council had
announced the suspension of insurance case acceptance, effective from September
2nd, with exceptions for emergency cases, cancer patients, and kidney failure
cases. They will continue to provide services to patients on a cash basis,
following the prevailing pricing from 2021.
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