The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has emphasized that starting June this year, issuance of new visas or visa renewals for spouses, domestic workers and dependents would not be done if they are not covered by Dubai’s mandatory health insurance scheme.
The Authority further said that the implementation process would be done by the end of June this year, when the third and final phase of the scheme gets underway, on companies with less than 100 employees, spouses, dependants, and domestic workers in the emirate.
About 75 percent of Dubai expats are covered by insurance, said Dr. Haidar Al Yousuf, Director of Public Health Funding. Now, the rest 25 percent are to be covered, and by the end of June, 100 percent of Dubai expats are to be covered.
So far, the implementation of the mandatory insurance scheme is progressing as scheduled, he said.
He further mentioned that linking of health insurance scheme to visa issuance and renewal, together with General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA), have contributed to the success of implementation process.
Dr. Haidar has called on all companies to hurry with the implementation of the scheme prior to end of June 2016 to avoid penalties imposed by Executive Council Resolution No.7 of 2016 which can involve paying fines up to Dh.500,000 to those who fail to comply.
The Health Authority has completed the first phase of implementation, which comprise more than 1000 employees in 2014, while the second phase includes companies with 100 to 999 employees in 2015.
The companies can get health insurance packages that are in-line with the scheme from 46 health insurance companies approved by DHA, including the nine companies that provide ‘Essential Health Benefits (EHB)’ package. The EHB package includes access to general physician, referral to specialists, surgical procedures, laboratory services, maternity care, and emergency services. According to Dr. Haidar, majority of these companies now provide competitive and affordable packages to sponsors and individuals.
