Dubai, UAE: The new law providing health insurance cover for all Dubai residents is now enforced and initially Rashid Hospital has begun accepting health insurance cards from expatriates.
A senior official with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) said the insurance cards are accepted at the government hospital’s emergency section, as part of the first phase of the roll-out of the health insurance scheme.
He said over the next six months, health insurance cards from expatriates will be accepted at all DHA facilities. The facilities include four government hospitals: Latifa, Dubai Hospital, Rashid Hospital and Hatta Hospital.
The new law will soon give health treatment access to expatriates with insurance cover also at all the 20 Primary Health Care (PHC) centres that are spread throughout the emirate from Al Ghusais, Nad Al Hammar to Umm Suqeim and Al Safa.
Expatriates will soon be free to choose where they wish to be treated, either at a government hospital or a private clinic.
Dr Haidar Al Yousuf, Director of Health Funding at the DHA, told Gulf News that the health cards of the Emiratis will also soon be replaced with insurance cards.
Earlier, more than half the Dubai population of about 1.5 million residents, mainly construction workers, domestic staff and spouses of low-income expatriates, had no health cover.
DHA on Monday announced the brand name of the scheme as ISAHD (Insurance System for Advancing Healthcare in Dubai) that means "Happiness" in Arabic. "Quality and quick health care access will bring happiness to residents," said Al Yousuf.
He had said earlier that by mid-2016 all residents in Dubai will have health cover. "The basic coverage (costing Dh600) provides access to the general physician, any referral, surgery, maternity and covers any emergency" he explained.
The director said employers are welcome to provide any extra coverage besides the basic package. The director said the package is affordable to the employers and will not impact the economy.
There is a 20 per cent co-insurance cost to the insurance card holder, he said. Residents with health cover usually pay Dh100 while the doctor’s consultation fee, treatment and medicines are taken care of by the insurance card.
Health insurance is a form of security, Al Yousuf had said.
He said time is given for the roll-out of the scheme as there will be a rush on the health care services initially. The health insurance is linked to the work and residence visa so no company can default, he said.
© Gulf News
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