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Medical Insurance is coming to town ... |
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Sunday, 11 June 2006 |
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You may have read in the Press recently that Medical Insurance will become a compulsory requirement by employers in Abu Dhabi - we anticipate that other Emirates will follow suit. If you want a quotation without obligation then let us know or perhaps it is time to prod your boss into getting this sorted out! There is more info in the Medical Insurance section and if you would like to see the recent Press article then
Thousands of low paid expatriates, mostly labourers in Abu Dhabi, will be the first to enjoy the benefits of the Private Health Insurance scheme scheduled to start from July 1. A top official from the Abu Dhabi General Authority for Health Services (GAHS) said that according to the new law employers having a staff of 1,000 or more will have to provide private insurance coverage to their employees, their dependents, spouse and three children under the age of 18 years. GAHS is also working on a system to provide funds for people with special needs.
Ahmed Mubarak Al Mazroui, the Director-General of GAHS, told reporters in Abu Dhabi that the scheme is mandatory and must be followed by employers hiring more than 1,000 staff. “The employers and sponsors are liable personally to pay the cost of any medical treatment the workers undergo if the worker is not covered by the insurance scheme,” Mazroui said.
This is the first phase of the scheme and nearly 500,000 people whose income is below Dh3,000 – the majority of them blue-collar workers drawing a basic salary of Dh600 – will be the first to benefit from the scheme.
In the second phase, which is scheduled to start from January 2007, all expatriates residing in Abu Dhabi must have insurance provided by their employers.
UAE and GCC nationals residing in Abu Dhabi, nonnational wives of UAE nationals and children of UAE mothers married to non-nationals have been excluded from the scheme. Al Mazroui said: “The GAHS has set up a complaints unit and a squad of officers who would check if employers and sponsors are complying with the directives. If any company is found violating the law, they would be reported to the Ministry of Justice.” The new insurance policy will be replacing the health card system and will have to be produced at the time of visa renewals. Health cards will be valid until their expiry, after which they will have to be replaced with the insurance scheme.
Thanks to Emirates Today for the article |
