UAE International Health Insurance Advice

Medical and Health Insurance Advisory in UAE

The UAE Government provides its nationals with a health care system administered by its Federal Ministry of Health. For expatriates (non-UAE nationals), which currently comprise 80% of the population a payment of Dhs 300 (USD 82) per year is required to obtain a health card which entitles the holder to access to medical services at all MOH facilities for minimal fees. The health card and/or medical insurance is a mandatory requirement for each expatriate and without it expatriate workers will not get a work permit in the UAE. In the past, even temporary visitors to the UAE without International Health Insurance were also able to get relatively free health services during their stay in the UAE. These costs comprise of approximately 80% of the MOH budget.

MOH officials confirm that although the Ministry collects approximately 500 million dirhams annually in medical fees it spends five times more this amount on medical services. The MOH also believes that medical services and medicine is being misused. Even people on visit and transit visas go to government hospitals and undergo complicated surgery almost free of charge which would cost them Dhs 50,000 to Dhs 250,000 in private hospitals elsewhere.

In lieu of the above and to ease its burden, the MOH announced last summer two new policy decisions relating to the revision of medical charges in government hospitals, clinics or health centers as well as the dispense of medical prescriptions to patients.

The first, which took effect on May 1, 2001 states that government clinics will no longer provide free medicines to expatriate cardholders, but they will have to purchase them from private pharmacies.

The second, effective from April 1, 2001 states that visitors to the UAE and residents without health cards or with expired ones, have to pay full fees for hospital beds and surgical operations.

These policy changes actually point towards greater involvement of the private sector in health care and saving the government millions of dirhams. The MOH is planning, in coordination with other authorities, to ensure all expatriates have medical insurance in the future, whether through private insurance schemes or through employers. In fact, in 1999 the MOH did call for proposals for a comprehensive insurance plan from local health insurers and international consultants were asked to review the proposals and submit a detailed blueprint, but proposals did not match the Ministry's expectations, since the insurance companies offer was to collect full insurance premiums while reimbursing the government for its expenses at the current subsidized rates. This reiterates the fact that the private sector health care providers should be and will be involved as a substitute.

Globalsurance has an extensive knowledge of international medical insurance for expats living all over the world including UAE. We are here to help you choose the best UAE International Health Insurance plan that is well suited to your needs.