Don’t have medical cover? Well, you better get moving…
Dubai residents have until December 31 to get health insurance or they will face fines.
Starting January 1, 2017, residents who do not have the mandatory insurance will be made to pay Dhs500 a month.
The fine will be paid by either the person’s employer, or the resident who is sponsoring dependants which include spouses, children and domestic workers.
On top of the fine, those without health insurance will be unable to renew their visas.
The rule will be enforced by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).
The cost for basic health insurance ranges in price from around Dhs565 to Dhs650 (around the same price as the fine, so you might as well get it!).
“It is much cheaper to insure your employee or dependant then to pay the fine,” Haidar Al Yousuf, DHA’s Director of Health Funding, told Gulf News.
Read:
Hurrah, The UAE Government Just Extended Its Paid Maternity Leave
Maternity Leave In Dubai Is Definitely Going To Change
The UAE’s Best Nanny Has Just Been Named, And The Winner Is…
Bookmark This: The Ultimate 2017 UAE Holiday Calendar
“It’s a very minimum cost which provides health security and stability to individuals.”
Companies which provide health insurance choices and their rates can be found on the DHA’s website.
The most basic cover package will grant you outpatient consultancy at clinics, specialist referrals, surgical and pathology investigations, maternity health cover, emergency hospital visits as well as surgery and medication requirements.
As it stands, only 88 per cent of the Dubai population have health insurance.
Yet you never know when it’ll come in handy – it’s definitely one of those things that’s worth forking out for.
Image: Getty
