Married women in UAE ‘forced to pay for health cover they may not need’

Insurers say they get many requests from women who cannot have children asking for insurance with no maternity cover.

ABU DHABI // Married women pay up to 75 per cent extra for health insurance, with maternity benefits compulsory regardless of whether they want or are able to have children.

Brokers say they receive many requests from wives asking for insurance without maternity cover, but they are unable to provide it.

“Unfortunately, we can only inform the clients of the regulations,” said Mark Sather, of Nasco Middle East. “Maternity definitely increases the premiums set for married women, as the inclusion of the benefit increases claims paid by the insurer.

“We have faced cases where the women cannot get pregnant and these cases can be brought up to the insurers, who may reduce the premium, but they must include the benefit on the insurance card either way.

“Health Authority Abu Dhabi requires all married women to have maternity cover as part of the insurance plan, as well as other specific minimum requirements.”

Last year, Dubai Health Authority started requiring companies to provide insurance coverage to all employees.

“Like Haad, they set guidelines on what must be included in the plans as a minimum requirement, which included the maternity benefit for all married females,” said Mr Sather.

“The insurance card must state that maternity is covered but each insurance company stops charging the extra premium for the maternity cover after a certain age [usually 45].”

Abu Dhabi resident Ela Jayne said the rule was unfair: “If I was paying for my own insurance I’d definitely be annoyed by this.

“I have polycystic ovary syndrome and I’m no longer able to have children, so I and people in such circumstances shouldn’t be forced to pay extra for cover that is medically not required.”

Talal Bayaa, of medical insurance start-up Bayzat, said the law stated every policy for a married woman must offer up to Dh7,000 for normal births and Dh10,000 for medically necessary Caesarean section, with 10 per cent co-pay.

“For this reason, most insurance companies will charge a higher rate for a married female, since they price in the probability of a pregnancy occurring,” said Mr Bayaa.

“Taking an average from the hundreds of health insurance products on Bayzat’s platform, the price of the same policy for a married female versus a single female can be 55 per cent to 75 per cent higher.

The DHA and Haad did not answer requests for comment.