What expat families need to know about health insurance in Dubai.
The health system in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is constantly changing. With reforms currently taking place it can be hard for expats to know how to navigate the system and access the care they need. We spoke to Brian S. Piper, Head of Global Business Development at Integra Global about healthcare in the UAE.
1. What do the Dubai healthcare reforms mean for expats?
According to new insurance regulations that took effect this year, health care insurance is now mandatory. The law requires that all nationals and residents of Dubai (including dependents) must have coverage in place to pay for emergency and curative health care needs.
For expat residents and their dependents, funding will be provided by private health insurance schemes. The law applies to all economic areas of the Emirate of Dubai including Free Zones.
As one way to ensure compliance with the health insurance law, the issue and renewal of employment visas will be conditional upon evidence being provided at the time of visa application or renewal, that the employer has provided insurance cover for the employee.
2. What you should know about coverage in Dubai.
There are two basic types of coverage available in Dubai:
Essential Benefits Plan (EBP) – The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has specified a minimum level of benefits that must be provided in any health insurance plan offered in the Emirate of Dubai.
Enhanced products – Any health insurance plan which offers benefits that are significantly more comprehensive than those required by the EBP is known as an enhanced product.
Generally in the Gulf region there is an emerging trend of other countries adopting or planning to implement similar mandatory insurance regulations. The rules differ from country to country and the time frame in which they are being rolled out also differs.
Within any socialized or universal healthcare system, basic access to medical cover is paramount but it also puts more stress on the medical system and individual providers. For those who can afford private medical cover, the availability of treatment at a wider range for facilities is an important consideration both in terms of access and quality.
In summary, if you are resident in Dubai you must have insurance from a licensed insurer.
3. The advantages of having private health insurance in Dubai.
It depends on the needs of the expat and their individual expectations; often the level of care and cost in their home country or on a previous assignment, may dramatically influence the extent of coverage they choose. Generally, private healthcare gives better access to a wider number of medical facilities, ensuring better quality, quicker access and more comprehensive benefits with higher limits compared to basic insurance coverage.
We could look at it in the context of good, better and best. Good = an Essential Benefits Plan (EBP); better = enhanced, with regional coverage; best = an enhanced product that offers global coverage. In other GCC countries healthcare insurance is not yet mandatory so having private healthcare insurance is advantageous.
4. Special challenges for families moving to the Middle East.
The cost of healthcare in the UAE is very high. Without adequate healthcare insurance the financial burden can be substantial. In terms of the UAE, a compelling factor now is that both the employee and dependents are required to have healthcare insurance. The employer may or may not extend coverage to dependents. Even with coverage, a consideration is whether the plan the employer offers is sufficient to meet the expats individual needs? Certainly, not all companies understand the complex nature of being an expatriate and they may not fully comprehend the need to offer extended and comprehensive benefits. Studies show poor family adjustment is a leading reason expatriate assignments fail.
The expectations of the expat and family differ greatly from a domestic hire; healthcare can weigh heavily on the success of the assignment and overall well-being of the family.
Moreover, expat families often travel on holiday, business and for extended periods such as annual leave or school vacations. Families may prefer to seek elective treatment back home in familiar surroundings. A domestic or regional plan may not adequately cover the family outside of the country, region, or back in their home country.
Moving with children introduces a whole range of issues from maternity to routine care. Depending on the plan’s benefits – pre-natal, delivery, post natal, vaccinations, routine check-ups etc. may not be covered.
Expats from countries with universal healthcare may not fully comprehend the differences of universal healthcare and private insurance. Unfortunately, there are conditions with waiting periods e.g. maternity, that have to be met before the plan takes effect. If a pre-existing condition develops under a local or regional plan it’s unlikely it will be covered afterwards should the expatriate relocate.
These are all factors that a new expat in the UAE would not encounter back at home. However, these points are universal to all expatriates, not just those in the UAE.
5. What to look out for when choosing an international health insurance plan.
A comprehensive plan design – Private expatriate healthcare is meant to insure against catastrophic financial risk. The issue remains, certain plan elements may not be considered important when evaluating a plan or until you need it. Do I need emergency evacuation and assistance? No, not until you need it…but by then it’s too late.
Ideally, a plan should not have specific caps on chronic conditions, outpatient treatment or prescription drugs. Most expatriates are not aware of the cost of medical treatment and what may seem like sufficient coverage with a cap may not be, and afterwards it’s too late.
Better plans have wellness visits to encourage proper medical upkeep; and detection, if a problem arises its best to catch it in the early phases.
Accessibility – Within any location there will be medical facilities, but proximity is important as is the quality of the facility and access. In the UAE, the quality of healthcare is quite high and facilities are abundant. However, there are other factors to consider when seeking care in a foreign country, language barriers, cultural or religious differences, dietary requirements, etc. which are not directly related to the treatment per se but may have an impact on the overall well-being of the patient.
The ability to go home for treatment where you have a support network and familiarity is a big consideration when selecting a plan. Ideally, the ability to seek out the best in class facilities or centers of excellence for treatment globally is superlative. The best specialist in a village may not be the best in the country, the region or the world. When you are ill, knowing you have the ability to access the best gives peace of mind.
Portability – Factors of an expat life include additional stress, longer work hours, cultural challenges, isolation, additional family challenges, etc. The nature of expatriate work is to be on short term work, moved or reassigned either short or long term, to stay in the location longer than expected, or to permanently transition abroad.
A person’s health typically does not improve over time and one has to expect the unexpected. Being able to retain a plan and transfer to another location seamlessly is key to an expat plan as you can never really be sure of the future. Having a plan that you can continue using whilst living abroad is paramount for maintaining continuous coverage throughout your career.
Find out more about Integra Global’s health plans for Dubai.