# Pre existing medical conditions



## eksi (Oct 11, 2010)

Hi All,

Has anybody moved from their home country to the UAE with a pre existing medical condition. If, it wasn't covered by Private medical cover, how have you or your spouse etc managed to continue with your treatment in the UAE? Does the Government Health Card provide UAE residents with care or is your care/treatment paid for by yourself?

I would really appreciate any help on this subject. I am going around in circles and we just need to know whether there is an option available for us moving from the UK. 

Thank you !


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

I am on long term meds. I visit my doc in UK once a year and he gives me a prescription for a year supply. I am not covered by my insurance here and it would cost me £400 a month if I paid in Dubai whereas it costs me £7 a year on the good old NHS. My meds are on the UAE Restricted list so I had to get a copy of my prescription attested in the UK first. If you need details on how to do this let me know.


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## eksi (Oct 11, 2010)

Thank you so much for your reply. We are currently living in the UK using the NHS, and my wife is under going Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer. My wife's main treatment will be completed by Christmas, however there will be on going scans and tablet form chemo for her in the future. We just want to know if any of this treatment would be covered using the Government Health card or just to return to the UK every few months for treatment and scans etc. If we have to do this, well fair enough. Does the Nhs know that you are living in the UAE? I just can't believe that the number of people moving to the UAE from overseas, that we seem to be the only ones who are in this situation. My wife will not be covered ny BUPA etc, as they are only after making money etc.

Any info that will help us would be grateully received. My wife thinks that there isnt a a way around and keeps blaming herself for a missed opportunity. But as I have said to her, we cant be the only people ever to find ourselves in this position.

looking forward to hearing from you. If you prefer to PM that would be great. Again thank you

eksi



wandabug said:


> I am on long term meds. I visit my doc in UK once a year and he gives me a prescription for a year supply. I am not covered by my insurance here and it would cost me £400 a month if I paid in Dubai whereas it costs me £7 a year on the good old NHS. My meds are on the UAE Restricted list so I had to get a copy of my prescription attested in the UK first. If you need details on how to do this let me know.


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## wonderwoman (Nov 14, 2009)

wandabug said:


> I am on long term meds. I visit my doc in UK once a year and he gives me a prescription for a year supply. I am not covered by my insurance here and it would cost me £400 a month if I paid in Dubai whereas it costs me £7 a year on the good old NHS. My meds are on the UAE Restricted list so I had to get a copy of my prescription attested in the UK first. If you need details on how to do this let me know.


hi wandabug could you tell me how you go about this im on long term meds i will be here full time from december 

thanks


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

wonderwoman said:


> hi wandabug could you tell me how you go about this im on long term meds i will be here full time from december
> 
> thanks


If your drugs are on the restricted list you can bring them into the country with prior permission from the UAE Embassy (see below). Banned drugs (notably Codein based meds) cannot be bought in even with an attested prescription.

http://www.moh.gov.ae/admincp/asset...ed Controlled medical list seperated 2007.pdf

Take the prescription and a copy of it to a solicitor. Ask him to certify the copy. He should only charge you £5.
Then send the certified copy to The Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Milton Keynes and include a stamped addressed envelope to the UAE Embassy London and one to yourself. Cost £20.
The FCO will stamp the copy prescription and forward it to the UAE Embassy for you to be attested by them.
The UAE Embassy will post it back to you.
The whole process only takes a few days although it may take a little longer as the Embassy will close for EID soon and there a few holidays in December as well.
All details are on FCO and UAE Embassy London websites.


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

Hi Eksi,

Did you get my messages??

x


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## eksi (Oct 11, 2010)

Yes I did thanks! I dosent look very positive then? If my wife needs to return to uk every few weeks we may not have the option to go to Dubai. I cant believe that there is very little medical care for someone with a pre existing illness. I would have thought the Government Health card was in place to help patients with illnesses etc.

I think my wife and I need to rethink things...as the UAE dosent leave is with many options [if any]

Thanks again




wandabug said:


> Hi Eksi,
> 
> Did you get my messages??
> 
> x


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## wonderwoman (Nov 14, 2009)

thanks this has been a good help


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## eksi (Oct 11, 2010)

I guess we will have to use our health service back in the UK, if there is nothing available in the UAE.

Looks like we are the only people to be entering the UAE with a pre exiting medical condition? Ive contacted UAE hospitals and the Government Dept via email, and still waiting to get a reply!

Thanks for your help any how.





wonderwoman said:


> thanks this has been a good help


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

How would you go about using your health care back in UK? In Canada if you leave the country for more than 6 months you lose your health care benefits. Don't you have a similar rule there?

I dont know, this is a very sensitive topic. I would not bring anybody to UAE under chemo or that kind of treatment. She will be in remission after awhile but will have to undergo some checks and family support is crucial during the whole thing. I also have no clue whatsoever of the facilities that UAE has for cancer treatment if needed.

For foreigners, we get a private health card sponsored by the company. You might want to check what they cover. I do not think t they will cover pre-existing medical condition. I would be really surprised if they do. 

Let me know how it goes. It is an interesting topic.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Does any country do this?? If this was the case, anyone with bad health care in their own country, who came down with a serious illness, would get their spouse to get a working visa for a country with good health care, and move over. Doesnt seem at all fair for some other country to be paying for non citizens health coverage. 

UAE surely will not do this. They look after their own quite well.


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

Jynxgirl said:


> Does any country do this?? If this was the case, anyone with bad health care in their own country, who came down with a serious illness, would get their spouse to get a working visa for a country with good health care, and move over. Doesnt seem at all fair for some other country to be paying for non citizens health coverage.
> 
> UAE surely will not do this. They look after their own quite well.


I don't think that the UAE does this (though I may be wrong - come to think of if my insurance does not cover serious illnesses like cancer, etc). I remember there was a case in the paper a few weeks ago about a little Filipino girl who needs a bone marrow transplant. Her family was making a plea for donations so that they could take her to India as this treatment is only available locally to Emiratis.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

And the emirati friends I have travel some where else to have serious surgeries or illnesses taken care of....


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

Jynxgirl said:


> And the emirati friends I have travel some where else to have serious surgeries or illnesses taken care of....


Well, if you go by the story last week that Emirati doctors are allowed to practice as soon as they finish university (as opposed to an expat who needs 3 years clinical experience), I definitely do not blame them! I would sell body parts to go abroad for treatment before I let someone straight out of uni lay their hands on me!


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

I have explained this to the poster before, but once again: It is possible, in some cases, to obtain pre-existing cover as follows:

1. If you join a company sponsored scheme that has been set up on the basis of 'medical history disregarded' (MHD), or,
2. If you have existing private cover and submit a full claims history - some insurers will offer continual cover, at a cost.

The medical insurance companies are businesses and it is not in their interest to offer cover to someone who will immediately make a lot of expensive claims. It does not make financial sense and it compnaies did this, then the cost of cover generally would hugely increase. In this particular instance, cover for pre-existing conditions is not going to be available.

-


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

We were beginning to wonder where our great leader Elphaba had left us for


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## eksi (Oct 11, 2010)

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your replies! Maybe I didn't make myself clear. I know we are not covered for a pre existing medical condition as we do not have a private medical insurance policy already in place. if, we have had it prior to my wifes illness, then I wouldnt have posted this topic as she would have been covered.

What I have asked for is this; does having a Government health card in the UAE allow for continued treatment [if required] for my wifes condition? I understand that we will have to pay out of our own pocket for scans or continued treatment, but if having a government health card reduces the cost, then that clearly is an option, apart from my wife remaining a UK resident and continuing with her care in the UK. Thats it! The point I am making is we can't be the only people who have moved to the UAE, under these circumstances...can we?

I need to know what the Government Health covers, and if it covers nothing or is of no use, then we will look into paying ourselves!

Thanks.







Elphaba said:


> I have explained this to the poster before, but once again: It is possible, in some cases, to obtain pre-existing cover as follows:
> 
> 1. If you join a company sponsored scheme that has been set up on the basis of 'medical history disregarded' (MHD), or,
> 2. If you have existing private cover and submit a full claims history - some insurers will offer continual cover, at a cost.
> ...


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## eksi (Oct 11, 2010)

Any more info regarding my last post?




eksi said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> Thanks for your replies! Maybe I didn't make myself clear. I know we are not covered for a pre existing medical condition as we do not have a private medical insurance policy already in place. if, we have had it prior to my wifes illness, then I wouldnt have posted this topic as she would have been covered.
> 
> ...


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

eksi said:


> Any more info regarding my last post?


If you do not believe the advice that has been given, why not just go directly to the gov office? 

Toll Free: 800342 (800 DHA) and 
[email protected]


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

This isnt recent... but ?? 

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/h...denies-stopping-free-cancer-treatment-1.63262


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

HI Eksi,

The government health card only gives you discount at the public hospital for minor treatments, e.g. if you had a sprained ankle and needed it bandaged and don't mind standing in a queue for 8 hours with the labourers to get it dressed by a badly trained nurse. It will not cover you for cancer treatment. The UAE equivalent of the NHS is only available to Emiratis.


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

I have just read Jynxy's link, I read that as available to expats who cannot afford treatment. Coming from the west I would think that you will be considered wealthy enough to afford cancer treatment. Unless someone comes along and corrects me.


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## eksi (Oct 11, 2010)

Thanks Jynxgirl and Co, 

I have contacted the UAE health Government Dept via email, and I am waiting for a reply. Thank you for the Gulf News article regarding Cancer Treatment in Abu Dhabi still being available to UAE nationals and UAE residents. I will continue to contact hospitals in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi and get confirmation of costs for treatments and scans etc and whether it is affordable.

Once again thank you all for your help!




wandabug said:


> I have just read Jynxy's link, I read that as available to expats who cannot afford treatment. Coming from the west I would think that you will be considered wealthy enough to afford cancer treatment. Unless someone comes along and corrects me.


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