Health Insurance
Built as a stronghold of reliable and unbiased information on health insurance, credit facilities and more, PolicyBazaar (PB) acts as a local online aggregator that makes comparing health insurance as easy as ordering lunch. Policybazaar’s venture into the Middle Eastern market via PB.ae has been met with instant recognition and high adoption rates. The reason for this is quite simply, our commitment to providing the most accurate information in a single, intuitive online platform.
Residents have found that information on health insurance in the UAE provided by PB.ae has helped them identify the most ideal plans at the best prices possible. PB.ae prides itself on customer satisfaction and an effective platform to compare health insurance in the UAE.
Features & Benefits of Health Insurance in the UAE
The different features and benefits of health insurance in Dubai and across the UAE can be broken down as follows:
Government Policies
Whether its medical insurance in Dubai or in Abu Dhabi, both of these emirates mandate a certain level of protection for residents. This is applicable for UAE residents and for visitors alike. For example, the Dubai Health Authority offers a comprehensive health insurance policy (Sadaa) to unprotected residents. Similarly, health insurance in Abu Dhabi is offered to UAE nationals under the name of Thiqa.
Premium
A premium is an amount charged by health insurance companies in the UAE in return for medical cover. When one thinks of cheapest health insurance in Dubai, they are usually referring to one with the lowest premium in the market. These health insurance policy premiums are usually payable as either monthly instalments or a single lump sum.
Third Party Administrators
Most medical insurance companies in the UAE make use of a Third Party Administrator (TPA) to handle certain functions. TPA services can range from bookings to claims and more. Health insurance applicants should make sure that in addition to picking the best health insurance they also go for the most reliable and easily-accessible TPA.
Family Plans
Certain health insurance plans come in variations of single, employee-funded or family plans. Family plans offer cover to the policyholder’s immediate family members and can typically be availed from birth to the age of 65 years.
Benefits
While only the best health insurance in Dubai may offer dental and optic cover, this is rare to find without an extra charge. The benefits commonly found across medical insurance in the UAE include maternity cover, physiotherapy sessions, mental health care and more.
Types of Health Insurance In the UAE
It is wise to compare health insurance plans before committing to one as the minimum tenor for most health insurance policies is 12 months. With so many types of medical insurance policies and even more sub-categories to choose from, it can be helpful to understand how health insurance in the UAE is categorized.
Individual Plan
As is self-evident, individual plans are offered by health insurance companies in the UAE to protect a single policyholder.
Family Plans
When it comes to medical insurance UAE costs, family plans are the perfect blend of affordability and coverage. These forms of health insurance plans usually restrict the number of policyholders to one spouse and a fixed number of children.
Plans by Nationality
Usually seen in government medical insurance companies in Dubai and other emirates, certain health insurance providers offer slightly better benefits to UAE nationals. This type of medical insurance plan carries different benefits for expatriates and for UAE nationals.
Best Health Insurance Plans in the UAE
After comparing health insurance, PB.ae has managed to identify 10 of the best providers for health insurance in Dubai and across the UAE.
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Health Insurance in the UAE
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Provider Name
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Premium
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Inclusions
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Exclusions
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AXA Insurance
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Varies According to Plan
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- Up to AED 10 million yearly cover
- Offers worldwide cover
- In-patient treatment
- Hospitalization benefits
- Out-patient treatment
- Physiotherapy
- Therapy
- Alternative treatments
- Health Check-ups
- Ambulance
- Vaccinations
- Personal Accident
- Pre-existing conditions
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- Non-emergency in-patient treatment
- Diabetes Mellitus (waiting period)
- Vascular diseases (waiting period)
- Cancer (waiting period)
- Neurosurgery (waiting period)
- Maternity (waiting period)
- Routine Dental
- Hearing & Optics Laser Treatment (only covered in Abu Dhabi)
- Diagnostic (only covered in Abu Dhabi)
- Congenital Conditions (only covered in Abu Dhabi)
- Work Injuries (only covered in Abu Dhabi)
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ADNIC
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Varies according to the number of members in the plan
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- Up to AED ,000 per policyholder
- In-patient treatment
- Daily rooming
- Out-patient treatment
- Diagnostics
- Prescription medication
- Physiotherapy
- Pre-existing, chronic conditions
- Ambulance
- Vaccinations
- Diabetes screening
- Pregnancy
- Newborn services
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- Pre-existing & chronic conditions (waiting period)
- Pregnancy (waiting period)
- Airfare
- Treatment outside the UAE (can be purchased)
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MetLife
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AED 1312
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- Yearly limit of AED ,000
- Rooming Costs
- Maternity
- Emergency Room Cover
- Repatriation
- Medical Transportation
- Lab Tests
- Physiotherapy
- Medications
- Endoscopy
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- Alternative Medicine
- Chronic Conditions (waiting period)
- Pre-existing Conditions (waiting period)
- Congenital Conditions (waiting period)
- Organ Donation / Transplant
- Home Nursing
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RAK Insurance
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Starting at AED 499
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- Yearly limit of AED 50,000
- In-patient treatment
- Out-patient treatment
- Physiotherapy
- Prescription Medication
- Maternity service
- Hospitalization Daily Benefits
- Vaccinations
- Diabetes Checks
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- Pre-existing & chronic (waiting period)
- Maternity (waiting period)
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Oman Insurance
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Starting at AED 525
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- Yearly limit of AED ,000 per member
- Covered in Dubai only and in Abu Dhabi for emergencies
- In-patient Treatment
- Hospital Room
- Medical Transportation
- Maternity Services
- Lab Tests
- Pharmacy Services
- Pregnancy
- Gynaecology
- Emergency Dental, Hearing & Vision Treatments
- New Born Care
- Vaccinations
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- Routine Dental
- Routine Vision/ Hearing treatments
- Diabetes Screening (once a year only)
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Daman Insurance
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Starting at AED 615
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- In-patient Services
- Out-patient Services
- Physiotherapy
- Therapy
- Day Treatments
- Surgery
- Ambulance Costs
- Maternity Benefits
- Vaccinations
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- Unnecessary Treatments
- Cosmetic Procedures
- Obesity
- Gender Reassignment
- Allergy Testing
- Deviated Septum
- Viral Hepatitis
- Road Accidents
- Suicide
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AMAN Insurance
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Varies According to Plan
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- Yearly cover ranging from AED 50,000 - AED 1 million
- Cover offered everywhere except the USA & Canada
- In-patient Treatment
- Prescription Medication
- Hospital Fees
- ICU
- Boarding
- Home Nursing
- Out-patient Treatment
- Lab Tests
- Ambulance Fees
- Organ Recipient
- Repatriation
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- Ortho/Endodontic
- Dentures
- Cosmetic Surgery
- Oral Hygiene Treatments
- Teeth Whitening
- Routine Dental (can be purchased)
- Pregnancy (can be purchased)
- Optic Treatments (can be purchased)
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Orient Insurance
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Varies According to Plan
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- AED 75,000 - AED ,000 yearly limit
- In-patient Treatment
- Room Costs
- Medicine Expenses
- Medical Transport
- Physiotherapy
- Out-patient Treatment
- Lab Tests
- Maternity
- Diagnostics
- Hearing/ Vision Emergencies
- Vaccines
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- Non-emergency Treatments
- Treatment Outside UAE
- Pre-existing & Chronic Conditions (waiting period)
- New Born Cover
- Preventive Checks
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MaxMedical
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Quotation Request Required
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- Up to AED 10 million yearly
- In-patient Treatment
- Rooming
- Prescription Medication
- Surgery, Anesthesia Charges
- Hospital & Consultant Fees
- Diagnostics, Tests
- Image Scans
- Organ Transplant
- Reconstructive Surgery
- Rehab
- Emergency Dental
- Daily Cash Benefit
- Maternity
- Out-patient Treatment
- Home Nursing
- Vaccinations
- Physiotherapy
- Therapy
- Many more
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- Unnecessary Treatments
- Cosmetic Procedures
- Obesity
- Gender Reassignment
- Allergy Testing
- Home Nursing
- Deviated Septum, etc
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Salama
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Varies With Plan
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- In-patient Services
- Day Care
- Organ Transplant
- Chemotherapy
- Congenital Conditions
- Organ Transplants
- Home Nursing
- Out-patient Services
- Consultant Charges
- Medications
- Physiotherapy
- Vaccinations
- Lab Tests
- Alternative Medicine
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- Maternity (can be purchased)
- Dental (can be purchased)
- Optics (can be purchased)
- Therapy (can be purchased)
- International Aid (can be purchased)
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(Updated: May 2019. Information is subject to change as per the medical insurance provider’s discretion.)
Health Insurance Inclusions
Health insurance policies in the UAE strictly adhere to an inclusions list, which sets forth the exact extent of medical cover that a policyholder is eligible for. While inclusions vary from one health insurance company in Dubai to the next, the services listed below can be found in nearly any health insurance policy in the UAE.
Boarding
Certain medical procedures require the patient to be admitted to the hospital. As such, not only does a health insurance policy help customers to cover the costs of a hospital room, but some of the best health insurance in Dubai even offer access to luxurious private rooms.
Ambulance Services
An ambulance should be thought of as more than a means of transportation. It is, in fact, a miniature hospital on wheels, the services of which are invaluable in times of emergency. Most medical insurance plans offer cover for ambulance fees.
Vaccinations
From protecting newborns to immunizing travellers, the importance of vaccinations and inoculations could not be clearer. Health insurance plans usually offer cover for vaccinations and inoculations up to a set annual limit.
Lab Tests
The strongest weapon in a doctor’s arsenal is the litany of diagnostic tests that have been made possible thanks to modern medical equipment. From blood cultures and biopsies to X-Rays and MRI scans, diagnostic tests can be an enormous expense in themselves without the aid of some of the best health insurance plans in the UAE.
Medication
After diagnosis comes treatment. Prescription medication costs can run into thousands of Dirhams. However, even the cheapest health insurance in Dubai will offer policyholders an allowance to cover these costs.
Health Insurance Exclusions
An exclusions list is a collection of the various medical services and treatments that are not offered as part of a health insurance plan in the UAE. Exclusions are one of the major criterions that applicants should consider while comparing health insurance in the UAE.
Unnecessary Operations
Simply put, most medical insurance in the UAE will not cover the costs of medical treatments unless they are crucial to the policyholder’s health and wellbeing.
Cosmetic Treatments
It is nearly impossible to find medical insurance companies in Dubai or anywhere in the UAE that offer a health policy with cover for cosmetic treatments.
Obesity
Medical treatments for obesity usually find themselves well outside the scope of cover for health insurance in the UAE.
Dental & Optical Care
When it comes to dental or optical care, even the very best medical insurance in Dubai barely scratches the surface. While some health insurance companies in the UAE do offer emergency dental cover, routine checks and more comprehensive protection can usually only be availed of by paying an additional premium.
Waiting Periods
Certain health insurance plan benefits only come into effect after the customer has been a policyholder for a fixed period of time. This is known as the policy’s waiting period. The most common examples of health insurance services that have a waiting period include maternity cover, cover for pre-existing conditions, cover for chronic conditions and so on.
Voided Policies
Health insurance companies in the UAE reserve the right to terminate a medical insurance plan at any time. Medical insurance policies are usually voided as a direct result of the policyholder’s actions. Examples of activities that may void a health insurance plan include illegal activities (such as gambling), not paying the medical insurance premium on time, self-harm or suicide and more.
The Health Insurance Claims Process
One may have repeatedly come across the term ‘network hospitals’ when going through the various plans offered by the top health insurance companies in the UAE. This network of hospitals plays a crucial role in how claims are processed. There are two major ways that members of a health insurance policy can make claims:
- Within the Hospital Network: Medical insurance companies in the UAE usually partner up with numerous hospitals and clinics. These partnered medical establishments let the policyholder avail of their health insurance plan benefits without making any payment out of pocket (as long as they are within the stipulated policy limit).
- Outside the Hospital Network: Unlike the previous type of claim, policyholders will be required to pay for any medical treatment that is availed of outside a health insurance policy’s network of hospitals. However, this amount can be reimbursed by presenting the health insurance provider with treatment details, original bills and other document proofs as requested. Note that the reimbursement amount is subject to medical insurance policy eligibility and to the limits that have been set forth by the insurance provider.
