UAE plans national health insurance

UNIVERSAL COVER: The UAE plans to launch a national health insurance scheme. (Getty Images)

All UAE residents - regardless of nationality or income - will have access to free healthcare under proposals to launch a national health insurance scheme to provide universal cover for people living in the Gulf state.

UAE Health Minister Humaid Al Qutami said in comments published on Sunday the compulsory scheme will rolled out within three years and that under the scheme patients will no longer have to worry about treatment costs.

Al Qutami said the scheme will cover the basic needs of all residents and provide funding for future investment in the country’s health care infrastructure, UAE daily Gulf News reported.

He said the national health insurance scheme, to be compulsory, will be funded by employers and individual subscribers.

The Ministry of Health is currently working with the Abu Dhabi Health Authority and the Dubai Health Authority to draw up a strategy aimed at delivering better healthcare across the UAE, he said.

Al Qutami said within three years the health ministry also plans to connect all hospitals and private clinics through a national data bank that will manage information about patients across the country.

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Dubai NHS
Posted by Mirdif Mike, Dubai on Monday 15 September 2008 at 11:12 UAE time


Please please don't let it, or the data information system, be based on the UK NHS.

National Health Insurance
Posted by Steve Welsh on Monday 15 September 2008 at 09:19 UAE time

I really do hope that for once this project is thought through carefully before implementation. Will it replace private medical insurance and if so the service and availability of the service will surely deteriorate with the extra numbers trying to access it. The service in some hospitals under the current private insurance scheme is pretty bad to say the least so unless there is a significant improvement in both facilities and standard of the medical staff the scheme is already dead in the water.

Of course with private insurance, the UAE does not necessarily make money but by implementing this scheme they will. Surely not an other money making scheme by the UAE... difficult to believe isn't it ???

great news!
Posted by Al on Monday 15 September 2008 at 01:22 UAE time

All i can say is, hats off and bravo to H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid...this gentleman is definitely on the right track. He's the only person we see between all our arab world studying all experiences from all over the world and choosing the best for us. Thank you sir from all our hearts...thank you.

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