Dubai Health Authority has issued a new directive that now makes it compulsory for all insurance providers to cover newborns from the time of their birth.
DHA Dubai Health Insurance Corporation CEO Saleh Al Hashmi assures the public that newborns will immediately be given coverage without any waiting periods.
“After the 30 day period of cover under the mother’s policy is over or after utilization of the annual limit of the mother’s policy, the new policy directive now stipulates that insurance companies must immediately provide the newborn medical insurance cover with the same Table of Benefits as the family’s insurance. There will no longer be any waiting period,” said Al Hashimi as per a statement issued to Khaleej Times.
Al Hashimi states that the aim of the new directive closes gaps for families with newborn children and ensures that the infant will have “continuous insurance cover from the time of birth.”
No more waiting periods
Another directive was issued earlier about not having any waiting periods any longer specifically for newborns: “No insurer may impose waiting periods of any kind on newborns, whether they are waiting periods against pre-existing conditions or any other conditions.
“We would also like to reiterate that newborns must be covered under the mother’s policy for 30 days and/or up to the mother’s annual limit. In addition, backdating of up to a maximum of seven days is only allowed for newborn additions to achieve covering the newborn from the date of birth, this is the only exception to backdating,” it reads.
The directive was put in place due to a number of insurers who have allegedly imposed six-month waiting periods for newborns before they are insured.
