Sunday, Feb 19, 2017

Dubai: Dubai Government issued on Sunday a final deadline for residents to secure mandatory health insurance.

Failure to meet the extended deadline will result in fines, said health officials in a statement.

All employees and sponsors will have to pay a fine if they fail to provide insurance to employees by March 31, 2017 and for visitors by December 31, 2017, according to the new resolution issued by the Dubai Executive Council.

Resolution No (6) 2017 has been endorsed by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, according to statement.

So far, around 98 per cent Dubai residents are covered under the mandatory health insurance Law no (11) of 2013 that went into force in January 2014. Sunday’s announcement will ensure that the remaining two per cent of expatriates also get health insurance before the stipulated date or face the consequences.

The resolution, however, gives authority to Humaid Al Qutami, Director General of Dubai Health Authority, to extend this deadline if required.

The resolution defines the implementation phases for beneficiaries, entities responsible for providing the service and the deadlines for implementation. It states that the Government of Dubai is responsible for providing health insurance coverage for UAE nationals from 1 June, 2015, and employers are responsible for providing health insurance coverage for expatriate employees from January 1, 2014.

The resolution also obligates sponsors and guardians to provide health insurance coverage for their families and domestic workers from January 1, 2014.

The resolution stipulates that the health insurance requirements should include the provision of an essential health insurance plan approved by the DHA. The health insurance card must be issued by an approved entity and the insurance policy must adhere to the relevant bylaws.

Timeline

The Mandatory Health Insurance Law No (11) came into effect in 2014 to be implemented in phases.

Insurance milestones

* Deadline for Phase I covering companies with 1,000 or more employees, ended on October 31, 2014.

* Deadline for Phase 2 covering companies with 100-999 employees ended on July 31, 2015.

* Deadline for Phase 3 covering companies with 100 or less employees and includes every resident including domestic workers and dependents of employees, ended on June 30, 2016 but was extended to December 31, 2016 and has now been extended to March 31, 2017.

Source: DHA

By Suchitra Bajpai ?Chaudhary Senior Reporter

Gulf News 2017. All rights reserved.