The Health Insurance Council's Secretariat General has asserted that approval requests for medical examinations and lab tests sent by health establishments to insurance companies are considered approved if a response was not received by fax within 60 minutes. Dr. Abdullah Bin Ibrahim Al-Shareef, Secretary General of the council, said the decision is to ensure the introduction of proper medical services to those insured through supervision and control and preserve the interests of insurance companies and medical service producers. He said 24 insurance companies have been qualified by the council to practice health insurance as 1,407 hospitals, medical centers and pharmacies were approved to introduce medical services under the umbrella of the Cooperative Health Insurance.
