Dubai companies to be fined Dh500 for employees without insurance

Dubai - Six-month grace period for mandatory health insurance scheme

Dubai Health Authority (DHA) called for insurance companies to use innovation in reaching out to residents in line with the mandatory health insurance scheme.
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With around one million still in need to get insurance before December 31, Dr Haidar Al Yousuf, director of health funding at DHA urged insurance companies to provide cost effective and good quality packages to residents.

"One of the key elements of innovation is that it has to be sustainable. It should not inflate prices, but can only add value either improve access and quality or sustainability," said Yousuf.
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With the deadline of sponsors providing insurance to their employees and dependents is approaching, Yousuf said insurance companies "should think of smart solutions to reach the biggest number of people possible."

Under the scheme, the first responsibility of providing insurance to employees and dependents is the employer. But for those who do not have an employer, the responsibility of providing insurance goes to the sponsor.

"If the employer does not provide insurance to the employee's dependents, it becomes the employee's responsibility to provide insurance for his dependents," said Yousuf.

However, he added that the government ensures there are affordable packages in the market for employees with low income who need to provide insurance for their families.
"There are about a million dependents still in need to get insurance before the end of this year, which is a fantastic opportunity for growth. Less than 30 per cent of dependents are covered by companies, so employees need to buy insurance for their families," Yousuf said while urging insurance companies to design cost effective packages and build longer relationships with members.

"Try to establish a 3-year-package or even 5-year-packages to ensure viable investments for you and your members," said Yousuf.

Beware of law violation

While a six-month grace period was given to companies and sponsors to apply the scheme, which had the initial deadline of June 30, Yousuf confirmed that authorities will start applying fines by Dec. 31.

Companies will be fined Dh500 per month for each employee without insurance, however the fining process is not yet revealed.
 "Those who haven't purchased insurance to their employees and dependents are already violating the law. What has been extended is only the deadline of penalties," said Yousuf.

"Providing basic benefit package starts from Dh550 per year, so it is cheaper to purchase insurance for employees than pay fines," noted Yousuf.

 He said 88 per cent of Dubai population are now covered, and the authority will make sure the remaining 12 per cent are added to the scheme within the next month.

 "By the end of 2013, one million people had insurance. Today, 3.6 million people are covered, we have done really well over the last period and this is our final push to ensure all Dubai residents are covered," said Yousuf.

He added that linking health insurance to Dubai residency visas and prohibiting companies from deducting the insurance amount from employees' salaries are necessary steps that protects workers.

"As regulators, we also track the insurance use of low income population from an electronic system to ensure they are using their insurance card and that they know how to use it," said Yousuf.

He noted that DHA's iPROMeS electronic platform will allow employees to issue complaints against employers who have not provided them with insurance.

"The platform is also available in Hindi and Urdu because we need to reach the vulnerable part of the society make sure they are not taken advantage of," noted Yousuf.

Residents can visit www.ishad.ae/community  to look at the full range of packages offered by the 50 insurance companies licensed by DHA.

sherouk@khaleejtimes.com 

• Dubai