Dubai: The basic package of Dubai Health Authority’s (DHA)mandatory insurance scheme will become available with participating insurance companies from June 1, a top official has said.
Speaking to XPRESS, Dr Haidar Al Yousuf, DHA’s Director of Health Funding, reiterated that the package has been designed for those earning less than Dh4,000 a month and will be available with seven companies.
A total of 43 insurance companies have been permitted to provide health insurance services in Dubai. Asked if overseas insurance policies held by residents, especially dependents, would be good enough in the UAE, he said: “Dependents need to get mandatory insurance by mid-2016 according to the timeline of the law. Until then, they can continue with their existing international policies. However, eventually, all insurance policies will need to be compatible with the law. This means that all insurance companies must be first licensed in the UAE by the Federal Insurance Authority, then permitted by DHA for providing health insurance in Dubai.”
Conditions
He said: “Overseas insurers with no local licence cannot be regulated by DHA, so members cannot be protected by the regulator. Therefore, we have stipulated this condition. This is an international norm and global insurance companies are well versed with it.”
On the issue of cover for senior expats, especially those above 80, he said: “They cannot be denied cover, but it will have to be underwritten based on their age and medical history under premium regulation control by DHA.”
The premium for essential health benefits (EHB) which ranges from Dh500-Dh700, carries an aggregate claims limit of Dh150,000 per year and it applies to services and Dh1,500 per year for medication. It entails a 20 per cent co-insurance deductible on inpatient and outpatient services, with cap of Dh1,000 a year on inpatient services.
On whether the basic insurance coverage would apply to both private and public hospitals, Dr Yousuf said: “The network is defined by the insurance company but DHA emergency services will be covered in all networks.”
He said companies with over 1,000 employees have till October 2014 to roll out the mandatory cover while those with 100-999 employees have till July 2015 and the rest till mid-2016.
