Public urged not to buy ‘dental insurance cards’

AMMAN — The Jordan Dental Association (JDA) is sending text messages to the public to warn them of “misleading” insurance cards that are being sold by private clinics and medical centres.

JDA President Ibrahim Tarawneh on Wednesday said the promotion of these insurance cards that “claim to cover dental health services” can be considered “fraud”. 

Noting that the practice has been around for 10 years, Tarawneh said the cards are sold at prices ranging between JD50 and JD60 by unlicensed companies, centres and clinics that are also not recognised by the Health Ministry.

“We are fighting this phenomenon because it violates the law,” the JDA president said.

“There is no such thing as ‘medical marketing’ in dentistry or any other medical field,” Tarawneh told The Jordan Times. 

He added that the association received several complaints that the names of some well-known dentists, who are no longer practicing, are written on the cards. 

“The complaints state that services are offered only once and after that the treatment is considered to be over regardless of the case, leaving patients wondering where to go to complete it,” Tarawneh said. 

“This is an embarrassing and an unethical act. Dentists should not sell misleading cards.”

According to the JDA president, the businesses promoting these cards are registered in the Trade and Supply Ministry as insurance companies, which — under the law — should not sell cards and call patients to advertise services.

“They are even at the airport selling the pre-paid cards to expatriates. This ruins the reputation of medical and dental services in Jordan.”  

Tarawneh said the association has prepared a plan in cooperation with the Health Ministry to raise public awareness of this issue, and also launched a media campaign that entails sending text messages to urge caution when dealing with these promotions.

Trade Ministry Spokesperson Yanal Barmawi said the companies are not licensed by the ministry; they only register their names with it. 

Moreover, Health Ministry Spokesperson Hatem Azruie told The Jordan Times that the ministry does not have any connection with the companies that sell the cards, noting that they are considered commercial firms and might be involved with private clinics.

“These companies are not considered medical. They only sell cards to patients; they are not licensed and violate many laws,” Azruie said. 

He added that the ministry will work with the JDA and the Trade Ministry to limit the spread of the phenomenon.

Qasem Rahahleh, director of the Health Ministry’s licences and professions department, said the ministry will coordinate with the JDA to identify the number of clinics that use these cards. 

“The ministry will evaluate the status of the clinics and centres that sell the insurance cards and will deal with the violations they have committed on a case-by-case basis,” he added.