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ISAHD Health Insurance

Written by Huma

ISAHD Health Insurance, a revolutionary healthcare service introduced by the Dubai government that is proving to give out-class international standard medical coverage to its users.

New wave of Dubai mandatory health care coverage plans is started to circulate in the news termed as “ISAHD”.

ISAHD is an Arabic word meaning happiness. And indeed, this is a moment of delight now that citizens of Dubai getting the best international standard healthcare in top hospitals of Dubai.

Mostly in the UAE, a comprehensive government-funded health system by Dubai health authority (DHA) and Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD), have extended the health care facilities network all over the city that turns out to be more fitting and feasible for users.

According to the government, the initiative is based on the belief that health insurance should provide protection against the medical emergency and every citizen should have this coverage plan in a time of need. Also, the individual is given a viable option to get their own provider with the public or private sector of their liking.

The phases have been decided that compel the health insurance company to get a health insurance permit form the DHA to be an eligible provider of health care coverage plan to the general audience.

Before jumping to the phases of ISAHD, we need to understand what is ISAHD health insurance first

Q) What is ISAHD?

Insurance System for Advancing Healthcare in Dubai (ISAHD) literal meanings are bringing happiness. That sure brings happiness among the general audience is the government pledged to give a high-standard and affordable health care service with the launch of this program. This setup is to bring all the stakeholders that are patient, doctors, payers, providers, and legal authorities) to work together in a cohesive manner.

The aim of ISAHD is simple is to prove itself to be the world’s best health care coverage plan given to its clients.

But to overanalyze the whole setup and purpose of ISAHD we need to see the technicalities and in-depth conceptions.

Therefore, without a further ado lets dive in;

1. ISAHD Coverage Plan

This system wants to full fill two main promises that are made the ISAHD health insurance coverage plan.

  1. Coverage for all the individuals

All the individuals living in Dubai either with permanent, temporary or are ex-pats or immigrants are given the opportunity to get ISHA health insurance.

This becomes mandatory health insurance for all the residents, especially offering affordable essential benefits plan (EBP) to the workers who are earning less wages up to AED 4000 a month.

Under EBP total 12 insurance companies have been
authorized to given insurance with the annual premium of AED 500 to 700.

The catch of ISHD is that all the companies or employers are responsible for to ensure health coverage to their staff and employees are responsible to get they depend on family members (spouse, children or any domestic staff) registered into health insurance.

For its implementation, a deadline was set in January 2017. Those who failed to get registered will be fine 500AED every month.

Therefore, DHA makes sure that everyone got the basic health coverage with affordability.

2. Establishment of High-Standard Health Care

Building a top international standard health care service for the general audience was the second and most important criterion of the ISHD.

DHA took the responsibility of selection and evaluating the top-notch insurance
companies, hospitals and physicians providing medical service according to the
benchmark set by the ISAHD.

For users convivence and ease, ISAHD update their website or mobile app from time with information regarding listed insurance providers and hospitals and other general details about the system.

For any quires or complaints or recommendations, the users can use iPROMeS (Insurance Partner Relations Opinion Management e-system) on the ISAHD website to register their concerns.

2. Three-Phases Of ISAHD Health Insurance

The methodology of ISAHD health insurance is based on these three phases that are facilizing the clients of all the statuses.

1st Phase

The first phase exhibit that employers or company that posses more than 1000 employees will be providing health coverage before October 2014 end.

2nd Phase

The company/employers who employed 100-1000 staff will be having a health care policy before the end of the month of July 2015.

3rd Phase

The last phase defines the three sub-stages belonging to different segments that will be given health car insurance.

These sub-stages are mentioned below

  1. Employers having 1 to 100 employees
  2. Spouse and dependents
  3. Domestic workers.

Therefore, this basic three-stage formulate the ISAHD plan to ensure everyone gets benefited by this system.

3. ISAHD -Simple & Efficient Health Insurance

Some of the rare and rigid guild one and polices formulated by health insurance providers has set limited eligibility criteria for the individuals residing in the UAE, to enjoy the full health coverage plan.

It can be an overwhelming aspect to search for the right insurance policy for yourself and for your dependent, in the time of competitive insurance providers who are willing to pursue you at any level to make you their client.

Therefore, ISAHD took the matters in their own hands and decided to design a simple yet comprehensive plan that suits individual budgets along with his/her requirements.

4. ISAHD Health Insurance Vs Visa renewal

ISAHD health insurance scheme taking visa issuance and renewal concerns into their considerations have incorporated a plan that implements the association between health insurance and visa renewal.

For instance, if the individual who does not get themselves registered or purchase a health insurance coverage plan then their visa will be automatically especially when applying for residency visas.

The law permits the exception of those persons only who have dependent or domes tie staff as DHA-Dubai health authority grant further sim month time period to get them registered.

Conclusion

UAE is a country of diverse backgrounds and cultural settings. Understanding the mindset of each societal set up can be a tricky business yet the government always seek alternatives to satisfy the general audience. For the sake of citizen welfare, the government obligated some laws that must be followed by every individual living in the UAE and some of these obligations are based on having health insurance, where Dubai government took an initiative of ISAHD health insurance where cheap coverage package is given to the general audience.

Thus they can easily afford them and avail the necessary health care package.


Originally published Dec 11, 2020 13:01:00 PM, updated May 15, 2021

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