Difference between Network and Non-Network Hospitals

With the increasing cost of hospitalizations, getting health insurance for you and your family has become even more important. Medical insurance in Dubai helps you get quality treatment without worrying about your medical expenses. The plans cover all your medical expenses and provide multiple features and benefits to let deal with your finances in a better way and focus on your health.

Various health insurance companies offer different health insurance plans based on a buyer’s requirements. The medical insurance in Dubai allows the policyholders to settle their claims in two ways, either through cashless benefits or by getting the expenses reimbursed. Most people choose the cashless payment options to avoid arranging cash at the last moment and a whole lot of paperwork.

This is where network hospitals come into the picture. Let us go ahead and find out how network hospitals help policyholders get their claims settled in no time without any out-of-pocket paying. We’ll also glance through the difference between network and non-network hospitals.

What are Network hospitals?

Every health insurance company in the UAE provides a list of hospitals to the policyholders where they can get cashless treatment benefits. The hospitals on the list are called Network Hospitals.

Creating this list is beneficial for all the parties involved - insurance providers, hospitals, and insured persons. When a person files a mediclaim, approving and processing of bills with a network hospital is comparatively easy and hassle-free.

Network hospitals generally charge a lower fee from the patients that come through the insurance providers and opt for a cashless treatment option. In return, hospitals get a higher number of policyholders as patients coming to their hospitals for treatment.

Network hospitals are a better choice since they eliminate the hassles of tedious documentation and other formalities. In situations of emergency, policyholders can focus on what’s most important - their health.

What are Non-Network Hospitals?

Non-network hospitals are not a part of the panel of a medical insurance company. With these hospitals, policyholders need to pay their own bills and get them reimbursed by their insurance company later on.

If you choose the hospital outside of the network of your medical insurance provider in Dubai, you need to collect all your documents once you are discharged from the hospital to submit to the insurance provider as proof of the expenses incurred.

The insurance company then approves the bills and processes the refund within a specified time frame. When it comes to medical insurance in Dubai, the waiting period for the claim settlement is usually 15 days to a month (variable depending upon the insurance provider).

Difference between Network and Non-Network Hospitals

Most policyholders choose network hospitals for their medical treatments to avail of cashless treatment options. With a network hospital, you need not worry at all about additional paperwork, billing or claim processing.

Here is a list of benefits that are offered by network hospitals only:

Cashless Payment

If you choose a network hospital for your treatment, you can avail of the cashless benefits. All you need to do is report the claim and get approval for the same. 

However, if you choose a non-network hospital, you are required to pay out of your own pocket initially and then get the bills reimbursed.

Documentation

Network hospitals save you from heavy documentation that might be a requirement with a non-network hospital. When choosing a network hospital for the treatment, all you need to do is provide your name and insurance policy number to the hospital, a file from the hospital is sent to your insurance provider for settling the bills.

The Bottom Line

When you opt for medical insurance in Dubai, opting for a hospital from the network hospital list is always a judicious choice for the convenience it offers. It is also important to go through the list of network hospitals that your insurance provider has so that you can make an informed decision and see if a hospital of your liking is there on the list or not.

A planned hospitalization helps you manage your finances and doesn’t dent your savings in case of a medical emergency.

You can also opt for a non-network hospital in case of an emergency or if you feel that the correct treatment is not available in the network hospital.

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