Dubai is not only famous for providing the best business and tourism-related opportunities for visitors but this Emirati state also gives huge importance to provide the best and quality lifestyle to its citizens, expats, and visitors. This also includes best and premium health facilities for the people came under its jurisdiction.
Mandatory Health insurance in UAE
There are several types of medical and health facilities available all across the UAE. But Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the two Emirati states where it is mandatory for employers to provide medical insurance to all of their employees and their dependents. This policy was introduced in Abu Dhabi more than a decade ago and has started in Dubai just last year. This health insurance policy for employers is not mandatory in other states of the UAE. Dubai also provides a Saada health insurance program for the citizens of the state of Dubai.
Mandatory Health Insurance in Dubai
In Dubai, if an employer sponsors a visa for his employee then it is necessary for him to pay for basic health insurance of his employees and their dependents. Through this initiative, good quality healthcare will be available at reasonable costs for lower-income employees, all children, domestic help and non-working residents. Essential Benefits Plan (EBP) is the name given to this mandatory health insurance. The purpose of this health insurance, initiated by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), is to provide bearable health care for all citizens, residents, and visitors in Dubai.
This mandatory health insurance is for domestic help (cooks, nannies, drivers, and housemaids) earning less than AED 4,000 per month and dependents include children, elderly parents, and spouses. But EBP is not required in the case that you have insured your dependents with a better insurance scheme or if your employer has already insured your dependents. This basic health plan is valid only inside UAE and it will not cover any overseas treatments. The maximum cover per person under EBP is AED 150,000 per annum.
The rules are quite strict for failure to avail of mandatory health insurance. If an employer fails to provide mandatory health insurance to his dependents in time, then he can face hefty fines and other penalties (non-issuance of new visas and non-renewal of existing visas) as well.
But it is important to note that there are also several advantages available for employers after they avail of mandatory health insurance.
Benefits of Dubai Mandatory Health Insurance
- You can get the EBP at a very low cost as compared to other premium health insurance. An example is the regular health insurance for elderly residents that can cost AED 15,000 per annum but it is just AED 2,500 per annum under EBP. In case of a premium of EBP for domestic help and general non-working group aged zero to 65 years, the cost of Dubai mandatory health insurance is AED 650 per annum while premium for non-working married females aged 18 to 45 years is AED 1,600 per annum.
- The insured will pay 20% in cases of tests, diagnoses, surgeries, an examination that will not exceed AED 1,000 per year. The same 20% will be paid by the insured for examination, diagnosis, and treatment on a routine basis. The insured will also pay 20% for lab tests, radiology tests and physiotherapy sessions (maximum six in a year). The insured will pay 30% on medicines with a maximum AED 1,500 per person.
- Complete insurance will be provided for emergency health care, ambulance service during emergency and immunization or preventive medicine for children and new-born babies. The new-born baby will be covered for 30 days from date of birth under mother’s insurance scheme.
- In maternity cases, the insured has to pay 10% for antenatal blood tests, 8 pre-delivery visits, 3 antenatal ultrasounds, a cesarean section with a cost up to AED 10,000 and normal delivery with a cost up to AED 7,000.
- Apart from providing the above-mentioned services in Dubai, the basic EBP plan also covers emergency treatments in Abu Dhabi and all the other emirates of UAE.
All these points prove that health insurance policy in Dubai is not only mandatory but also includes several benefits for both employer and receiver (employees and dependents) of that insurance policy. To get complete assistance on this matter, you can contact Riz & Mona Consultancy via phone no. 971-4-5586339.
