Health insurance will soon become compulsory for all residents

The Omani government is considering, as of 2017, the institution of a health insurance plan for all local inhabitants and expatriates. The compulsory scheme will break down patients into private and public health care centers in a more equitable fashion. This approach is expected to improve health care quality. It is also likely to reduce medical tourism by reducing the number of travels abroad for residents leaving the country for medical treatments.

Approximately 80 000 Omani nationals are traveling to Thailand for medical care. Even though no statistics are available, there are certainly more local people traveling to India for the same purposes.

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