Health Insurance in Dubai: Time to Get You Covered

9 August 2022

International citizens are no different from Emirati citizens when it comes to healthcare. And this is not surprising as ex-pats and foreigners make up nearly 90% of Dubai’s population. So, if you are planning to move on and join this massive international community, be sure to look into health insurance plans.

Individual Health Insurance Plans

Insurance companies offer individual health insurance plans to a single policyholder. It implies financial coverage against certain illnesses and offers several benefits such as cashless hospitalization, pre/post-hospitalization, etc. The entire sum assured is provided to only a single person.

Family Health Insurance Plans

A perfect blend of affordability and wider coverage comes to a family insurance plan for four members that covers the entire family under one single cover. Under this plan, the entire sum assured is shared by all the family members that are included in the policy.

Senior Health Insurance Plans

The plan is designed for 60 years old & above and comes with discounted premium costs. However, such types of plans are less widespread, and insurance companies might ask a person to do a medical check-up before selling out the plan.

Group/Employee Health Insurance Plans

This is a flexible type of plan typically provided by employers and allows to include/exclude employees as they join or leave the organization.

Critical illness Health Insurance Plans

This plan is designed to offer coverage for critical conditions that are generally not covered in a common Dubai healthcare plan. It may require holder to take treatment for a long period which generally arranges a payout in a lump sum amount.

What is Covered Under Health Insurance?

Emergencies
Maternity services
Day care procedures
Hospital room cost
Basic health care services (general examinations, diagnostic, treatment, laboratory services, radiology diagnostic services, physiotherapy services)
Preventive services

Things that are excluded:

Dental and gum exams
Terminal illnesses
Hearing and vision aids and correction
Injuries caused by terrorism/war/suicide attempt/nuclear activity

Is it necessary to have Health Insurance?

You cannot receive a UAE residency visa without proof of health insurance.

The UAE Health Card

Private policies may not cover every treatment, and, in some cases, it may be cheaper to go to a government hospital or clinic and apply for a health card. The health card offers basic health care coverage. To obtain a UAE health card, you'll need to provide: