Hundreds of thousands of workers and their families in the UAE's northern emirates will benefit from improved healthcare as a national policy to bring insurance for all comes into effect in the new year.
Starting on January 1, all companies must insure their employees, with proof of health insurance linked to visa processes. However, employees with work permits issued before January 1, 2024, will not be covered until their permits are up for renewal.
The scheme is designed to address the mountain of debt incurred by low-income workers, who often turn to credit cards or high interest loans to pay for care. Improved coverage for screening and pre-emptive health checks offers further potential to improve the health of blue collar communities, who are the most exposed to lifestyle-related illness.
Under the terms of the policy, care can be had from a network of seven hospitals, 46 clinics and medical centres, and 45 pharmacies, where dependents aged up to 64 are also offered equal access to care. The package covers treatment expenses, with a 20 per cent co-payment for hospital stays up to an annual maximum of Dh1,000.
Hospitals in the Northern Emirates are likely to experience a surge in patients, doctors said, but many lives would be saved through increased monitoring of potentially life-threatening conditions.
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