The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has linked the health insurance scheme to visa issuance and renewal  to ensure that all employers and sponsors comply with their responsibilities.

The authority has partnered with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) so that no new visa will be issued or an existing one renewed where the individual concerned does not have health insurance coverage in place at the time of visa application or renewal, said a statement.

The enforcement system will become live on August 1, one day after the phase two implementation deadline which is July 31, it said.

The linking of visa renewal or issuance to the mandatory health insurance will not be applicable for phase three companies who have until June next year to comply with the regulations.

The aim is to ensure complete compliance so that resident expatriates in Dubai has access to essential health insurance at all times.

For Dubai nationals, the DHA has introduced the Saada health insurance scheme and the Enaya health insurance scheme is already in place for Government of Dubai employees.

In line with the implementation of the Health Insurance Law No 11 of 2013 passed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the DHA is encouraging all employers who sponsor individuals on a Dubai residence visa (including Free Zone established entities), to comply with the phased roll out.

The implementation is currently in its second phase, companies with 100 to 999 employees have until  July 31  to provide their employees with health insurance.

Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qatami, chairman of the board of the DHA, said: “We are pleased to see that a lot of companies have already complied ahead of the timeline and we encourage all those who have not to do before the deadline. We anticipate that in phase two 600,000 people will be insured.

“At the time that the law was introduced in November 2013, the insured population in Dubai was 1.1 million. Since the phased introduction, until now, an additional 1.2 million people are insured, bringing the total insured population in Dubai to 2.3 million. This shows that employers are responding very well to the scheme.”

In phase one, all  employers who sponsor individuals on a Dubai Residence Visa (including Free Zone established entities) with more than 1,000 employees on their sponsorship were asked to provide health insurance for their workers by October last year. 

The companies with 100 to 999 employees have until the end of July as part of the phase two roll out of the scheme.

The companies with below 100 employees have until end of June next year to cover their employees, including spouses, dependants and domestic workers.

“They can start providing cover earlier, however, these dates are deadlines they must meet,” said Al Qatami.

Dr Haider Al Yousuf, director of Health Funding at the DHA, said that the implementation of the law, which came into effect in mid-February last year, aims to enhance the competitiveness of Dubai regionally and globally and is in line with Dubai’s quest to be a leader in all fields.

“The implementation of the mandatory health insurance law has multiple benefits. It provides everyone in Dubai – citizens, residents and visitors – with universal access to health care. The implementation also helps contribute to building a robust health system that is flexible and financially sustainable. Mandatory health insurance is a tool to ensure sustainability of the health sector in Dubai, it helps promote healthcare investment, leads to positive competition between health players; which benefits patients and helps boost medical tourism,” he said.

Al Yousuf said employers can choose health insurance packages from 45 approved insurance companies that have Dubai Health Insurance Permits

While it is not mandatory as per the law for employers to provide cover for the dependents of their employees, the DHA strongly encourages employers to do so and in fact several companies have been providing such benefits for family members of employees, he added. - TradeArabia News Service