The first phase of the Dubai’s health insurance law, where all employers will more than 1,000 employees on their sponsorship much has health insurance in place, is set to close by the end of this month.

Essa Al Maidoor, director-general of Dubai Health Authority, said: “This is a major milestone in ensuring access to healthcare. This phase of implementation applies to approximately 700,000 employees in Dubai.

“By mid-2016, everyone in Dubai will have mandatory access to health insurance. So far, we are pleased with the results of the roll out and are thankful to all those employers who have supported us by adhering the deadline, however there are still some employers who have not yet met the deadline and we urge them to act promptly.”

DHA will soon use direct electronic links with relevant government stakeholders to enforce the law, said AL Maidoor.

“Health insurance will be linked to the residency visa in collaboration with the relevant authorities including free zones.”

The implementation of the law, which came into effect in mid-February, aims at enhancing the competitiveness of Dubai regionally and globally and is in line with Dubai’s quest to be a leader in all fields, he said.

“The implementation of the mandatory health insurance law has multiple benefits. First and foremost, it provides everyone in Dubai – citizens, residents and visitors – with universal access to health care. The implementation also helps contribute to building a robust health system that is flexible and financially sustainable.

“Mandatory health insurance is a tool of sustainability of the health sector in Dubai, it helps promote healthcare investment, leads to positive competition between health players; which benefits patients and helps boost medical tourism.”

Dr Haider Al Yousuf, director of Health Funding at DHA, said: “The 44 insurance companies that have Dubai Health Insurance permits have witnessed substantial queries from phase one employers as well as other employers requesting for quotations for insurance packages that are compatible with the law for all of their employees.

“We will soon begin to review the extent of compliance and those employers who are not insuring their workers could face fines.”

While it is not mandatory as per the law for employers to provide cover for the dependents of their employees, the DHA has strongly encouraged employers to do so and in fact several companies have been providing such benefits for family members of employees, he said.

“Over the next two years, we will begin to see the immediate benefits of the mandatory health insurance scheme as and when its phased roll out takes place,” said Dr Al Yousuf. - TradeArabia News Service