Cover from your employer
Health insurance became mandatory for all those residing in Dubai in June 2016. As a result, basic health cover is actually a requirement in employment packages for exapts in Dubai. The specifics of this will be discussed before you begin working.
Insurance provided by your employer covers healthcare (listed below) costing up to a maximum of AED 150,000 per year (~USD 40,000). Employee contributions will usually be AED 500-700 (~USD 135-190) per year. You are then only required to pay 20% of your medical fees and the rest is covered by your insurance.
Basic cover provided by employers will usually include the following:
- Clinic appointments
- Referrals to specialists and for surgical and pathology investigations
- Basic maternity health cover
- Emergency visit to hospital
- Surgeries
Limitations of this cover
Your employer may not insure the rest of your family as it is not a government requirement. Although you won’t be denied medical treatment without insurance, there is a risk of you receiving a bill that you can not afford.
Additionally, with cover from your employer you may not always get a choice of which doctors, clinics, and hospitals are part of your insurance network. In most cases, hospitals with the highest quality of care and equipment will be exempt from your network as they are the most costly. If you arrange private insurance, you would have the opportunity to make sure that you are happy with the healthcare centers you can be treated at.
Arranging private insurance
If you have moved to Dubai with dependent family members and they are not included in your insurance package, arranging private health insurance is a must. English is commonly spoken by private companies so arranging the cover you want is easy.
Private health insurance can often give you a higher quality of care. You are also able to choose the extent of cover that will suit you personally. The additional cover that private companies may offer includes:
- Pre-existing conditions
- Mental healthcare and psychiatric treatments
- Dental and optical care
- Infertility treatments
- Preventative medical treatments such as homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic treatment
As there are many options as well as many different personal situations that impact the choice for the right insurance cover for you and your family it is recommended to talk to a health insurance specialist such as ASN that can assist you with your decision.
Read our Dubai Health Guide for more general information on healthcare in Dubai including emergency care, hospitals and medication.