# UAE Health Insurance- please help



## najenner73 (Jan 8, 2014)

I moved to the UAE in May 2013. My employer in London agreed to transfer me to their Dubai office and I have a Dubai residence visa. However I live with my wife in Abu Dhabi. When I applied for Health Insurance I was told that as I am a resident in Abu Dhabi I could only be covered by a HAAD (Health Authority Abu Dhabi) approved plan. I have had this reconfirmed to me on numerous occasions. 
As I have pre-existing conditions a HAAD approved plan is turning out to be very expensive and my work are unwilling to pay. The law in AD is clear that All employers and sponsors are responsible for the procurement of health insurance coverage and possession of valid health insurance at all times for their employees and their families (1 spouse and 3 children under 18), inclusive of registration fees, as well as the cost of the policy and for the cost of all health care services that are provided to persons on his sponsorship in the event that such a person is not covered by a valid health insurance policy. 
The law restricts the employer or sponsor from passing on the cost of providing health insurance to their employees and dependents, and such an act will be considered a violation of the law and shall hold the employer or sponsor subject to investigation and penalties.
However my employer is claiming that as they are based in Dubai they are not bound by AD law and they are therefore not obliged to cover me. Who, in this circumstance is correct? Surely if I have to have a HAAD approved plan then I am covered under AD law? No one seems to be able to tell me- not even the Health Authority. Can anyone shed any light on this please?


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Key question is why do you live in Abu Dhabi?
Is it for your convenience or did your employer insist you live there?
If it is for your convenience - then you are probably on stickier ground with your employer.

Cheers
Steve


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## najenner73 (Jan 8, 2014)

Thanks for your time Steve. I live in Abu Dhabi as my wife works here and gets housing benefit but only if we live in AD. My employer were aware that I intended to live in AD and orginally looked at me working here, however the parent group has no operations in AD so added me to the Dubai office for convenience.


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## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

well if your wife works in AD why can't her employers provide the health coverage for the family? or at least for her and the children? then at least you only have you to cover out of pocket if need be.

also, i the Dubai government recently announced that it will now be mandatory for employers here to do the same, provide health care coverage for all employees [but not sponsored families].

here is some info: Dubai sets deadline for compulsory health insurance | The National


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

Just get your own private health insurance that covers you anywhere. Done easily enough.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

najenner73 said:


> Thanks for your time Steve. I live in Abu Dhabi as my wife works here and gets housing benefit but only if we live in AD. My employer were aware that I intended to live in AD and orginally looked at me working here, however the parent group has no operations in AD so added me to the Dubai office for convenience.


The other approach is that you work in the UAE - this is one country. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are effectively two cities within the same country.
This is why your driving licence, car insurance etc. is valid throughout the UAE.
You could simply remind your employer of the above and get them to cover you in whatever UAE "city" that you actually live in.
Cheers
Steve


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## najenner73 (Jan 8, 2014)

Thank you for the replies....

Sammylou- Unfortunately my wife’s employer has said it is my companies responsibility to provide my cover and therefore cannot (will not) cover me unless she sponsors me as a dependent. In AD it is not easy for a wife to sponsor her husband unless she is a doctor, teacher, engineer or nurse. She isn’t in any of these professions and we have been told it is unlikely she could sponsor me. Annoying as we relocated primarily for her job offer and her employer said that it would be a simple process for her to sponsor me. We only found out it wasn't 2 days before we moved! 

Chocohloic- Thank for the suggestion, it does seem like a simple solution- if only it was that straightforwards! However I have to be covered by a HAAD approved plan by local AD law. There are only a handful of providers who will do these plans. Once I say I have a AD address any other provider tells me they won't cover an AD resident. The only option would be to say I live in Dubai but this is untrue so could invalidate the insurance and is probably illegal if I got found out- not worth the risk.


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## najenner73 (Jan 8, 2014)

Stevesolar said:


> The other approach is that you work in the UAE - this is one country. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are effectively two cities within the same country.
> This is why your driving licence, car insurance etc. is valid throughout the UAE.
> You could simply remind your employer of the above and get them to cover you in whatever UAE "city" that you actually live in.
> Cheers
> Steve


Thanks Steve, I think that they would counter argue that if this is the case they would prefer to cover me in the city where they are located- Dubai, where currently there is no obligation on them. The problem stems from the fact that each Emirate has it's own health authority and very different laws as to healthcover. The nut of the problem is who's laws am I covered by- AD or Dubai- no one seems to know, not even the Health Authorities- I get passed from one to the other when I call them!


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

My employer is based in Dubai and provides me with Platinum cover through ADNIC (ironically this is Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company!)
When i filled the proposal form in i dont recall giving my home address and this covers me in all the key hospitals in UAE and even when i go to UK.
So you really need to get cover from your company in Dubai - that covers you at key hospitals throughout the UAE. What do they do for the other employees?
Cheers
Steve


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

Hmmm seems very frustrating. And the fact you have a Dubai residency visa down't count for anything? Why are your companies not providing your insurance? If your wife is sponsored by her employer and not by you, by law they HAVE to provide her with insurance and the same with your company.


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## najenner73 (Jan 8, 2014)

Stevesolar said:


> My employer is based in Dubai and provides me with Platinum cover through ADNIC (ironically this is Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company!)
> When i filled the proposal form in i dont recall giving my home address and this covers me in all the key hospitals in UAE and even when i go to UK.
> So you really need to get cover from your company in Dubai - that covers you at key hospitals throughout the UAE. What do they do for the other employees?
> Cheers
> Steve


All the other employees (there are only 3 in total) live in Dubai. ADNIC have said if I live in AD they have to cover me with their HAAD approved plan. When I approached ADNIC for a quote they loaded their premium by 2500% because of my pre-exisiting condition. Basically they didn't want to cover me but were obliged to issue a quote. My pre-exisiting condition is a slipped disk- painful and I may require minor surgery but thankfully not life threatening!


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## flyinghigh (Sep 15, 2013)

Hi 
My reply would be a little too late for you . But I thought We could share our experiences. I am here in Dubai and trying to do my research how the medical insurance works. Please do let me know if your medical cover is sorted out. Regards
M H A Khan /snip/


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