Bahrain has introduced mandatory health insurance for eligible expatriate residents, linking healthcare coverage to work and residence permit procedures under a new national insurance framework that came into effect on October 31, 2026.
The National Health Insurance Programme for Residents, governed by Decision No. 66 of 2026, aims to regulate access to healthcare, improve the sustainability of the country's healthcare system and strengthen partnerships with private healthcare providers.
Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Health (SCH), announced the programme, which covers eligible expatriate workers and specified dependants through a mandatory insurance package.
The scheme provides an annual treatment coverage limit of BHD 15,000 for each insured person. However, individual services are subject to specific benefit limits, deductibles, co-payments and eligibility conditions. Healthcare services for Bahraini citizens will remain unchanged.
The programme applies to eligible expatriate employees working for employers in Bahrain and qualifying family members they financially support, including spouses and children below the age of 24.
It also covers non-Bahraini employers operating as natural persons and individuals authorised to work without an employer, together with their eligible dependants, subject to applicable conditions.
However, the SCH has excluded certain categories from the mandatory programme. These include domestic workers, residents employed by government entities and their dependants.
The new requirements therefore do not apply uniformly to every expatriate resident in Bahrain.
One of the programme's key changes is the integration of mandatory health insurance contributions with work and residence permit procedures.
Under the new framework, the required insurance contribution must be paid before relevant permits can be issued or renewed. The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) will collect the contributions payable to the Health Insurance Fund through established permit procedures.
For expatriates holding permits issued before October 31, 2026, the new requirements will apply when their permits come up for renewal and the relevant contribution becomes payable. Existing permit holders are not required to replace their permits immediately.
Insurance contributions are generally payable annually in advance. A partial year is treated as a full year for contribution purposes, while advance payments covering multiple years are permitted within the validity period of the relevant work or residence permit.
The announcement did not specify a new premium schedule, with contributions linked to previously applicable healthcare contribution categories for non-Bahraini workers.
The mandatory package covers primary and secondary healthcare, emergency treatment, accident-related care and a range of other medical services, subject to individual benefit limits.
Emergency treatment provided within Bahrain is covered at 100 per cent without a deductible or co-payment under the applicable conditions. Emergency cardiac treatment and local ground ambulance services are also included.
However, the BHD 15,000 annual limit represents the overall insurance coverage ceiling, not an unrestricted entitlement to every medical service.
Several treatments have separate annual limits. Coverage for pre-existing medical conditions and chronic diseases is capped at a combined BHD 2,000 per year.
Outpatient kidney dialysis and outpatient medicines each have an annual limit of BHD 500 per beneficiary. Cancer treatment is covered within the applicable annual insurance limit.
Maternity benefits include coverage of up to BHD 500 for natural childbirth and BHD 800 for caesarean deliveries. Newborn healthcare is also covered during the first 30 days after birth.
The package also provides for different reimbursement arrangements for generic and branded medicines included in approved medication lists.
The insurance framework classifies healthcare providers into four network levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
For services subject to network-based cost-sharing arrangements, beneficiaries will pay different proportions of treatment costs depending on the provider category.
The co-payment rates are 20 per cent for Bronze, 30 per cent for Silver, 45 per cent for Gold and 60 per cent for Platinum networks.
Certain general practitioner and outpatient consultations also carry a BHD 5 deductible. Follow-up consultations with the same practitioner for the same condition within seven days are exempt from this charge.
Some non-emergency inpatient procedures require prior authorisation, while emergency treatment follows separate access requirements.
The policy excludes medically unnecessary services, experimental treatments and procedures that do not meet its medical eligibility criteria. Treatment and compensation for workplace injuries may also fall under separate employer-liability or social compensation arrangements.
Employers and residents can purchase optional insurance packages to access additional healthcare benefits beyond the mandatory coverage.
However, purchasing supplementary insurance does not remove the obligation to pay the mandatory contribution for those covered by the programme.
The SCH said the initiative would support more efficient use of healthcare resources, expand healthcare options and strengthen collaboration with private providers.
The programme forms part of Bahrain's broader healthcare development agenda, aligned with Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
With the framework now in effect, employers and eligible expatriate residents will need to account for insurance contributions when managing work and residence permit renewals, while reviewing provider networks, coverage limits and exclusions to understand their healthcare entitlements.