A bill that would have forced employers in Bahrain to provide private health insurance for expatriate employees has been shelved.

Shura Council yesterday (March 22) rejected the draft law, which was originally put forward by parliament before last year's national elections, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

As it was also rejected by the new parliament last month, it will now be shelved.

The fact that the Cabinet is currently working on a new national health insurance law that is expected to provide benefits to both expatriates and Bahrainis was reason enough to reject the bill, council members said.

Shura services committee vice-chairman Nawar Al Mahmood said that the proposed bill would have been "very complicated" to implement "as it would be difficult for employers to determine what insurance policies it will cover and the range of services they will have to provide their expatriate employers with".

"The current health law already tackles employers' contributions to medical expenses through work permits, so this proposed law will create unnecessary confusion," he said.

"The bill is also of a discriminatory nature as it deprives Bahrainis from services that their colleagues and their families would receive.

"The Supreme Council for Health is currently studying the national health insurance law for expatriates and Bahrainis and has been doing numerous studies and research to ensure that it is applicable." - TradeArabia News Service