Sharjah, Ajman residents cry foul over insurance

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The DHA has made it obligatory on Dubai visa holders to secure a medical insurance policy for workers, domestic helpers, families and their dependents.
The DHA has made it obligatory on Dubai visa holders to secure a medical insurance policy for workers, domestic helpers, families and their dependents.

Dubai - People residing in Ajman said taking a sick child to Dubai is not practical.

By Alaa Ali Mohammed

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Published: Thu 19 Jan 2017, 8:45 PM

Last updated: Thu 19 Jan 2017, 11:05 PM

Families holding a Dubai residence visa and residing in nearby emirates such as Ajman and Sharjah have expressed concern over the mandatory Essential Benefits Plan that Dubai residence visa holders must carry to avoid penalties from the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).
People said they have been left with few options when it comes to insurance policies, the cheapest of which is called the mandatory Essential Benefits Plan (EBP). However, this plan does not cover clinics in Ajman and Sharjah where thousands of families stay because of the relatively lower cost of living.
According to a senior official from the DHA, residents who live in emirates other than Dubai, but hold a Dubai visa, will not be able to avail of this package in the emirate of their residency except for emergency medical treatment. This is a condition listed by insurance companies offering the EBP.
The DHA has made it obligatory on Dubai visa holders to secure a medical insurance policy for workers, domestic helpers, families and their dependents (spouses and children). Failure to do so shall attract a fine of Dh500 per month per person.
Most insurance companies have confirmed that they do not cover clinics in Ajman or Sharjah, except in emergency situations.
However, people residing in Ajman said taking a sick child to Dubai is not practical.
"The DHA should instruct insurance companies to provide the facility in clinics in Sharjah and Ajman or else the service would be useless," said Abu Radwa, an Egyptian residing in Ajman. "The health authorities in Dubai have made insurance for our dependents mandatory. But what is the benefit?" asked Abu Radwa. "Why should I have to drive to Dubai if my child falls sick?"
The mandatory EBP is aimed at helping Dubai residents with less earnings get a medical cover. But the facility should be extended to other emirates, too, Abu Radwa pointed out.
Bassam Hajji, a Syrian living in Ajman, is resentful of the service, saying he had to insure his wife and three children, at over Dh4,000. And he later found that he would not be able to make use of the medical service in Ajman or Sharjah.
Echoing the same, Abu Omar, an Egyptian living in Ajman, said: "We rushed to find an insurance company to get our children insured before the deadline to avoid being fined."
The DHA must inform insurance companies to provide holders of the EBP access to clinics in Sharjah and Ajman, said Mona Abdulmonem, an Egyptian housewife in Ajman.
The medical insurance policy under the EBP plan must be unified in terms of the pay and the geographical coverage by all insurance companies providing the service, Mona highlighted.
DHA's policy
The DHA offers nine insurance companies with EBP health insurance, under which a non-working dependent is insured against an annual premium of Dh650-718, depending on the policy of the insurance company.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com 
 


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