Abu Dhabi, October 31, 2010: The National Health Insurance Company- Daman is the first health insurance company in Abu Dhabi that has successfully managed to implement the new billing system called Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) that is set to help increase efficiencies and better control for the quality of medical services by classifying hospitals' claims for inpatient services.
The move came following the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi's (HAAD) circular mandating the payment of the Basic Abu Dhabi claims starting August 1st based on DRGs. Daman has taken the lead and is the first health insurance company in Abu Dhabi to adopt this system. Before the end of 2011, all inpatient claims for Daman's Enhanced plans will also follow the new DRG system.
Prior to the development of this system, healthcare providers' inpatient bills were detailed according to health services provided (e.g. consultation, medical laboratory tests, drugs hospitalization days etc). Diagnosis Related Groups, or DRGs, are based on a simple concept of averages. DRGs identify patients with similar clinical profiles and costs of treatment and pay the hospital the average amount, regardless of what it costs to treat an individual patient. This will consequently limit healthcare providers from adding unnecessary services in attempts to boost their revenues. Daman has already successfully processed inpatient claims based on DRG that have been received .from healthcare providers in Abu Dhabi.
"At Daman we strive to position ourselves as a pioneer in the UAE's health insurance industry. We have implemented the DRG system as a sign of commitment to HAAD's vision, one that guarantees more transparency in the health insurance process and enhances the way medical care is delivered to all inpatients at Abu Dhabi's hospitals," commented Dr. Jad Aoun, Chief Medical Officer of Daman.
The DRG system has been adopted in several countries around the world such as: the United States of America, Germany, Australia and Singapore. This system helps increase efficiencies and reduces complexity in the billing procedure between healthcare providers and health insurance companies. Simplifying billing will ultimately help prevent fraud, transparency in cost negotiation and eventually protecting members from unnecessary rise of premium.
For more information; please contact Daman's toll free number 800 4 DAMAN (32626).
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About National Health Insurance Company - Daman
The National Health Insurance Company - Daman, was established on 01 May 2006. Today it is the region's leading health insurance company, providing comprehensive health insurance plans to over 2,000,000 members in the UAE via the largest network of private hospitals and pharmacies available.
With affordable health insurance for people of all income levels, Daman offers international health insurance coverage for both individuals and companies. Damans toll free number, available 24/7 and manned by multilingual staff, guarantees members' accessibility to information and respective health insurance coverage whenever and wherever they are. A 24-hour dedicated Medical Authorizations Center, staffed by a team of doctors and nurses, ensures that patients' enquiries are dealt with speedily and efficiently using the most sophisticated technology available.
With Daman's wide international and local network, Daman's customers have access to healthcare provision in up to48 countries across the world, depending on the terms of their personal cover.
Customers also benefit from Daman's exclusive partnerships with Assist America, the international emergency programme, and VIPmed Almeda, the international second medical opinion scheme, giving its customers special access to world-class services.
For media information, please contact:
Radwa Shehab
National Health Insurance Company - Daman
Radwa.shehab@damanhealth.ae
Tel: +971 50 2622349
Baraa Hussain
Weber Shandwick, Abu Dhabi
Baraa.hussain@ws-mena.com
Tel: +971 2 449 4457
© Press Release 2010
