The List - Health Insurance

All expatriates residing and working in the emirate of Abu Dhabi must be provided health insurance by their employers/sponsor. There are some very specific exceptions to this law, eg organisations that have their own medical facilities which are maintained to the highest standards as set within the Code of Regulations and audited by the GAHS (The Health Authority - Abu Dhabi for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. All health care providers are obligated to provide treatment in emergency cases whether the patient has health insurance or not. In the case of a tourist, the provider may seek to recover fees from a patient's health insurance company in their native country or the patient himself can settle the bill and recover payment from his own insurance company. However, if a patient is in the country on a visitor's visa, it is the obligation of the patient's sponsor to pay medical fees. There are three kinds of policies available for employers/sponsors to provide to employees: Basic Product Policy - for people whose monthly salary is over or equal to AED 3,000 plus housing allowance, or AED 4,000 Emergency Policy - for visitors Enhanced Policy - for everyone else; this will include basic products plus additional products as per the insured requirements. Policies should contain an explanation of basic products, excluded products, additional products, maximum coverage, procedures of complaints and premiums (which, nevertheless are the responsibility of the employer/sponsor). An employer/sponsor cannot pass on the cost of health insurance to the insured. In the case of enhanced policies, at least, coverage is generally comparable to that provided in most industrialised countries. There are, however, some significant differences and it is imperative that the insured read the policy carefully. With regards to chronic diseases, the law does not cover people who have been in Abu Dhabi for less than six months. In case of an injury that would not normally be covered due to the nature of the medical emergency, the sponsor of the injured should pay the applicable fees. In the case of car accidents, the costs of a medical emergency should be recovered from teh Car Insurance Provider. In the case of work-related accidents, the helaht care provider may recover the costs of the medical emergency from the employer. The employer/sponsor should provide insurance coverage to the employee and his family, including one wife and three children under the age of 18. If there is a second wife and additional children, the sponsor of the family or the father should cover them via a Basic Product Policy. Coverage is valid for one year and should be renewed annually. Visas cannot be renewed without the presentation of documents attesting to valid health insurance coverage.