Iraq launches health insurance law in Najaf, Karbala and Basra

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Ministry of Health announced that the country's health insurance law has gone into effect in Najaf, Karbala and Basra as part of a wider rollout plan covering nine provinces. Ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr said in a statement carried by the official gazette that Mosul, Anbar, Kirkuk, Maysan, Dhi Qar and Babil will be added once their preparations are complete. The insurance package mirrors the categories already covered in Baghdad, including civil servants, retirees, individuals registered with the social protection network, people with special needs and their families. Health Insurance Fund Director General Ahmed Ali Obeid said orientation workshops have been held in the three cities to explain how the system operates and what benefits it provides. Under the law, which previously launched in Baghdad, enrollment has been mandatory for government employees and optional for retirees and social welfare beneficiaries, implemented in phases. The Health Insurance Authority and the Digital Center have so far served more than 2.5 million insured individuals.