More time to apply for insurance
dubai — Insurance companies will continue to accept health insurance applications even in 2017 past the December 31 deadline announced earlier by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).
Though the announcement brought some relief to residents, many were afraid that they would be fined despite the extension. Dr Haidar Al Yousuf, director of health funding at DHA told Khaleej Times that there would be “no fines next week.”
The authority announced on Thursday that the decision was being taken due to the high influx of customers flocking to buy insurance cover.
However, the DHA did not announce a cut-off date for the new extension which has been done for the second time since the first announcement in June this year.
In a statement the authority said, “Insurance companies will continue accepting health insurance applications in 2017. DHA has made the decision due to the high influx of customers flocking to insurance companies in the last few days and in consideration to those who were not able to get the insurance in time due to one circumstance or another.”
As KT reported on Thursday, confused Dubai visa holders were scrambling for last minute deals ahead of the deadline before the end of the year.
Several insurance companies
DHA has made the decision due to the high influx of customers flocking to insurance companies in the last few days and in consideration to those who were not able to get the insurance in time.” Dubai Health Authority statement
We are going to leave the country because it is very expensive to live with the family.” Sarath Sasidharan, Dubai resident
said that they were attending to up to 500 customers a day. “We are uploading at least 5,000 policies per day and we have started issuing token numbers to customers which has never happened before,” said an official from an insurance company on the condition of anonymity.
“People have again waited for the last minute…They were probably thinking that the authorities are not serious about the issue,” he said.
Dr Haidar said that insurance companies are working non-stop to cope with companies and individuals who want to get health insurance. He added that large number of online transactions have also been made on websites of insurance companies.
The statement further said: “More than four million—98 per cent— Dubai residents are now covered by the Dubai health insurance.”
It also said that the Dubai Health Insurance Law No 11 of 2013 was adopted under the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VicePresident and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Residents seek ‘reasonable’ health cover
Despite the extension, residents expressed concern over the costly premiums for their dependents. Those who did not qualify for the DHA’s Essential Benefits Package (EBP), specially designed for those earning less than Dh4,000, voiced concern over the high premium rates they had to pay for unmarried females of child bearing age as well as the elderly. Many others cited premiums as high as Dh10,000-40,000 annually for senior citizens aged 60 and above.
“We are going to leave the country because it is very expensive to live with the family,” wrote Sarath Sasidharan while commenting on the Khaleej Times website.
In a letter, a Khaleej Times reader said: “Senior citizens are searching for ‘reasonable’ cost medical cover while insurance companies are either not taking high-risk group or charging hefty premium rates.”
5,000 policies per day are being processed by insurance companies
“Health insurance premium for the elderly is as high as Dh30,000 to Dh40,000. And on top of this, normally the waiting period to get insurance benefits for pre-existing diseases range from two to three years,” he wrote, requesting the DHA to extend the deadline for securing a health insurance policy for the elderly to avoid fines and penalties.
Quotations sent to a Dubai resident seeking a policy for his elderly mother by MetLife Insurance company showed that the annual premium was Dh11,361 (age 5680) and Dh14,525 (age 80 and above). “Health insurance premium for the elderly is as high as Dh30,000 to Dh40,000. And on top of this, normally the waiting period to get insurance benefits for pre-existing diseases range from two to three years,” he wrote, requesting the DHA to extend the deadline for securing a health insurance policy for the elderly to avoid fines and penalties.
Quotations sent to a Dubai resident seeking a policy for his elderly mother by MetLife Insurance company showed that the annual premium was Dh11,361 (age 5680) and Dh14,525 (age 80 and above).