Three more insurance companies will provide Essential Basic Package (EBP) under the mandatory insurance scheme, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has said.
These companies will be added to the existing list of nine insurance companies authorized by the DHA, reported Gulf News.
The Dubai Health Insurance Law No 11 of 2013 was adopted under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
According to the Dubai Health Insurance Law that came into effect in January 2014, the legal liability for every sponsor is to provide an essential benefits plan insurance package that costs Dh550 to Dh650, the report said.
The three new companies are Noor Takaful, Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company and Union Insurance Company. This takes the tally of those providing EBPS to 12 companies.
The EBP is full cover health insurance with a premium not exceeding Dh650 per annum, meant for Dubai residents who draw a salary of less than Dh4,000. This category includes laborers, houseboys, housemaids and other blue collar workers, said the news portal.
Dr. Haidar Al Yousef, Director of Health Funding at DHA, reportedly said that the essential benefits plan package covers many services that includes maternity, emergency, medical tests, referrals, medication etc.
Patients subscribing to this insurance package can avail health services at clinics and hospitals, but cannot go for inpatient treatment unless referred by a general physician or in case of emergency. The package offers a maximum cover of Dh150,000 annually for any kind of medical expenses, the report said.
In case of a requirement for a surgical procedure, the EBP provides a co-payment cap of Dh500 which means a patient will have to pay only that amount, with the rest of expense to be borne by the insurance provider. A patient under EBP can avail a maximum of two such surgeries in a year.
For outpatient services, patients can go to any of the clinics included in the insurance provider’s network. For pharmacy, this package usually has an annual limit of Dh1,500 and a co-insurance of 30 percent. Co-Insurance is the amount paid by the patient, reported Gulf News.
The family packages start from Dh650 and packages for the elderly start at Dh2,500 per year under EPB, the report said.
