TEHRAN –A total of 12,000 non-vulnerable foreign nationals pay insurance premiums on their own, an official with Salamat Health Insurance Organization, has said.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees covers the insurance premiums of 95,000 vulnerable foreigners and the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is not obliged to cover these costs, Mehr news agency quoted Jamshid Shayanfar as saying.

Moreover,42,000 vulnerable foreigners have received basic insurance coverage with limited government funding due to their residence in Iran; it also aims to prevent the spread of infectious diseases that could impact the health of Iranians, he added.

Recently, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the National Organization for Migration, according to which the extension of authorized nationals' residence permits is contingent upon paying their insurance premiums and obtaining health insurance coverage, Shayanfar said.

Insurance premium for foreign nationals is set to be almost 90 percent higher than that of Iranians based on the approval of the Supreme Insurance Council.

Services for legal foreign nationals

On March 13, the National Organization for Migration, and Salamat Health Insurance Organization signed a memorandum of understanding to provide health insurance services for legal foreign nationals.

Referring to the health services provided for refugees, Abdollah Mobini, the head of the National Organization for Migration, said that international organizations should shoulder their responsibility and support Iran with the heavy costs [related to refugees], IRNA reported.

“Our most important concern is the transmission of diseases and other health problems by foreign nationals, and that’s why we consider ourselves obliged to promote the health of refugees,” he added.

The memorandum of understanding takes a big step in improving the health of both host and guest communities. It prevents the heavy costs of prevention, treatment, and healthcare, he noted.

Mohammad-Mehdi Nasehi, the managing director of Salamat Health Insurance Organization, emphasized that providing insurance coverage for foreign nationals is a priority in the country's health system.

He added that it helps both refugees and the country with the heavy costs of treatment and prevention, respectively.

Free health coverage for 200,000 refugees

With over 3.4 million refugees and refugee-like populations, Iran has become the second-largest refugee-hosting country globally.

About 200,000 foreign nationals in the country have been provided with free health insurance with the financial support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Nasehi said in February.

Foreign nationals who are considered financially struggling can benefit from free health insurance services, Mehr news agency quoted Nasehi as saying.

Stating that the number of refugees in the country is far more than the number of people who have been covered by free insurance, he added that legal refugees can enjoy insurance services by paying their insurance premiums.

MT/MG