Individual Health Insurance

What is Individual Health Insurance?

Individual health insurance is a type of insurance plan that provides an individual with adequate funds in case of any medical emergency. You can even purchase an individual plan for every family member and customise them as per the requirements. Individuals above the age of 18 years can easily secure themselves with an individual health insurance plan, with plenty of options to be found in the country. 

The following article discusses the types of individual medical insurance plans in Dubai and the UAE, their benefits, application process, and eligibility criteria. You will also discover aspects to be taken into consideration when applying for an individual health insurance plan.

Top Individual Health Insurance Plans in the UAE

Listed below are some of the best individual medical insurance plans in Dubai, UAE:

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Features of Individual Health Insurance Plans

Major Benefits of Individual Medical Insurance

Discussed below are a few aspects that make individual health insurance plans excellent choices for ensuring adequate financial cover against medical situations in the UAE:

1. Full Sum Insured: As the sum assured is to be used by one person only, one can generally obtain high assured sum amounts with these plans. 
2. No-Claim Benefits: Various personal health insurance Dubai plans offer no-claim benefits, where you get a discount if you don’t avail of assistance from the plan for multiple years. However, the duration and eligibility criteria for this discount are subject to the terms and conditions of your plan.
3. Medical Expenses Coverage: Paying from your own funds when you have a medical emergency on hand can worsen the stress brought due to the ailment. In such cases, an individual health insurance plan helps you prepare for unexpected medical expenses. This plan saves you from the burden of medical expenses and lets you focus on more essential aspects, i.e., your health and well-being.
4. Cashless Hospitalisation: With an individual health insurance plan, you can always opt for cashless hospitalisation if your chosen hospital comes under your insurer’s list of network hospitals. You can receive all the medical services without paying for them, as the insurance provider takes care of the payment directly.

Factors to Consider Before Buying an Individual Health Insurance Plan

You can consider the following aspects before buying an individual health plan in the UAE to get a plan with the best coverage at manageable prices:

An excellent way to verify this aspect is to check the average claim settlement time and ratio of your preferred insurance provider.

1. Claim Time and Process: Several health insurance plans in Dubai have a certain waiting period before they start covering your medical expenses. It is essential to check the waiting period with your selected insurance provider if you wish for the plan to come into effect immediately. Moreover, you should also check the claim process for your insurance plan. The claim process should be simple and quick to ensure minimal hassle especially when facing a medical emergency. 
2. Hospitalisation Benefits: A couple of individual health insurance plans cover pre and post-hospitalisation benefits. You should try to purchase a plan that covers these hospitalisation benefits along with other medical expenses like ambulance charges, doctor’s consultation, diagnostic tests, and more to keep your hospital expenses under check.
3. Network of Hospitals: Always check the list of the network hospitals before buying a plan to see if it has a hospital of your liking in proximity. If you are treated in a hospital outside your insurance provider’s network list, you’ll have to pay for the expenses by yourself and get the bills reimbursed later. 
4. Maternity Coverage: You should check if your insurer is covering maternity-related medical expenses (and the exclusions) under your health insurance plan if you believe that you will require this coverage anytime soon. With a general increase in the costs of maternity hospital bills, you must try to obtain coverage for all the outpatient expenses as well.
5. Medical Check-ups Coverage: A significant percentage of the UAE population may require frequent hospital visits for regular medical check-ups. With several insurance providers offering free medical check-ups, you should try to find such a plan and save your money.

Common Individual Health Insurance Plan Inclusions

Here is what your individual health insurance plan will generally include

• Doctor’s consultation
• Pre and post-hospitalisation expenses
• Domiciliary treatment
• Hospitalisation charges
• Diagnostics and tests
• Ambulance charges
• Day care procedures
• Emergency medical treatments

Common Individual Health Insurance Plan Exclusions

Besides the inclusions, you should also consider the general exclusion of individual health insurance plans in UAE: 

• Cosmetic surgeries
• Vision and hearing aids
• Dental and gums treatment
• Addiction-related treatment
• Alternative therapies

Who can Buy an Individual Health Insurance Plan in UAE?

As per the Health Insurance Law of Dubai No.11., every resident in Dubai, irrespective of their employment status, needs to have health insurance coverage that offers the minimum benefits as specified by the Dubai Health Authority. 

While the eligibility criteria for getting an individual health insurance plan in UAE are simple, here are a few things to keep in mind for a seamless application process:

• Anyone who is a UAE resident or a UAE national is eligible to have a health insurance plan based on the condition that they can produce all the required documents for the identification and verification process.
• Most individual plans require the policyholders to be of 18 years of age or older. However, a few conditions can be added by the insurance companies separately. 
• Some insurance providers have an upper age limit on individual health insurance plans that can depend on monthly salary as well. Consequently, the upper age limit must be directly verified with the insurance provider.

How to Compare Different Individual Health Insurance Plans?

Consider the following pointers while comparing various personal insurance policies.

• Identify Your Medical Needs: It is highly recommended to note down your medical needs and choose a health insurance plan based on them. This can prove helpful when you compare the plans based on factors like regular check-ups, medical tests, consultation fees, and more. 
• Inspect the Insurer’s Records: Always check the claim settlement ratio of different insurance providers before you select one and purchase a plan from it. The claim settlement ratio is a good indicator of how the provider deals with the reported claims.
• Explore the Network Hospitals: Before you select a plan, you must compare the list of hospitals under the networks of different providers. If you opt for a plan that has your preferred hospital on the list, seeking help in a medical emergency will prove more convenient.
• Check How to File a Claim and Renew the Policy: The insurance claim and renewal process are almost the same for all insurance service providers. However, you must compare the time taken for these processes as well as even the minor differences in procedure. Ideally, the time taken should be reasonable so that you have sufficient time to pay off your medical bills. 
• Pick the Best-Fit One: Once you are done exploring all the plans, compare the individual health insurance quotes and pick the one that best suits your needs without proving burdensome in terms of cost. 

How to Buy Individual Health Insurance?

Given below are the steps to be followed when purchasing a personal health insurance plan:

• Visit the online portal: You can visit the online portal of the insurance company and explore the plans in detail. You can also visit sites like policybazaar.ae to compare the plans of different providers and select the most suitable one. 
• Browse through the included benefits: Before purchasing the insurance plan, you should be aware of the benefits it will offer. For this, it is advisable to read through all the details about the coverage as well as the co-payments. 
• Upload the documents: Once you select a plan, obtain an application form for the same and submit it along with the required documents. This can be done on the website of the insurance provider as well as policybazaar.ae. 
• Purchase the plan: After you have submitted the documents, you can go ahead and pay the insurance premium amount to activate the plan. 

Similar steps are to be followed if you plan to purchase the best health insurance in dubai plan offline. Instead of obtaining and filling out the form online, you will be doing the same at a branch of your selected provider. 

Documents Required for Individual Medical Insurance in Dubai

The following documents must be carried when you apply for an individual health insurance plan:

• Resident Visa
• Passport 
• Passport-sized photographs
• Address proof
• Contact details of family doctor
• Proof of income
• Medical test reports

How to Claim Individual Health Insurance in Dubai?

Described below is an easy 3-step process that you can follow to register an individual healthcare insurance claim: 

• Register Your Claim: You need to begin the process by reporting your claim. For this, you can visit your insurance provider’s website or call on their helpline number to report a claim. 
• Upload the Required Documents: After reporting a claim, you will be required to upload the required documents and submit the claim for approval.
• Get the Approval: Once you’re done with the formalities, you can relax and wait for the claim approval to be processed.

How to Renew Your Individual Health Insurance Plan?

If you renew your health insurance on time, you can be assured of continuous coverage and may also receive discounts on premiums. Follow these simple steps to renew your individual medical insurance in Dubai.

• Register for Renewal: Visit your insurance provider’s website or dial their helpline number and register your policy for renewal. You will be asked to provide your policy details like the policy number, its expiry date, and so on. 
• Pay your Premium: Complete the payment for the renewal to get your insurance plan renewed. Make sure that you receive a digitally signed copy for renewal.
• Check the Updates: After making the payment, your policy should get renewed in some time. You can request your insurance provider for details regarding its activation or go to their online portal to check if your plan has been renewed successfully.

Key Takeaways

It is mandatory to have a health insurance plan in Dubai. One of the most sought-after plans in the UAE is an individual health insurance plan. It offers covers for all the major medical costs that you may incur during a medical or emergency treatment. Some of the best personal health insurance plans offered in the country are Sehteq Executive, Takaful Emarat Rhodium, DNIRC Gold Plan A, and Alliance Universal Plus Plans. 

To apply for this type of insurance, you must carry the documents specified by the insurance provider for a hassle-free experience. Another thing to remember here is that you should first explore the plans offered by various providers before deciding on a specific plan. 

The best way to explore and compare the best health insurance plans in one place is to check out policybazaar.ae, where you can also purchase a plan in a couple of clicks. Moreover, with our 24*7 customer care service, you can easily connect with the experts and resolve all your doubts regarding these plans. 

Individual Health Insurance FAQs