If you are moving to Dubai to work as a maid or a domestic worker then you need to know that your employer is responsible for your healthcare costs. Your employer is not obliged to provide healthcare insurance but it as part of the sponsorship process – by employing you they are agreeing to meet the cost of any healthcare needs that you have while you are there. This means that without the health insurance in place they will need to pay for consultations and treatment out of their own pocket.
However, health insurance for maids and domestic workers in Dubai is going to become compulsory and it should be in place by June 2016. One of the main issues for expats moving to Dubai is that they believe that the government health card is the same as having medical insurance. It was formerly used to give people access to discounted healthcare but it no longer works that way. This card is only used to keep track of the treatment that you have and any medicals that you have for your visa.
By June 2016 every resident of Dubai has to have at least an Essential Benefits Plan. This is a certain amount of health coverage and regardless of which insurance provider you opt to take out a plan with, they will need to guarantee at least this amount of coverage. This level of policy will provide you with coverage of 150,000 dhs per year, up to 20% co-payment for treatments and services and 30% co-payment for medications. The medication cost is up to 1500 dhs per year – after that there is no cost provision. Those who have this plan will have to attend a GP consultation before going on to any other consultant or specialist.
So how important is health insurance for maids and domestic workers in Dubai? The truth is that it is just as important as for any other worker in any industry. Nobody knows when they are going to need medical assistance – we cannot predict when we are going to fall ill or be injured. Without the relevant insurance in place it can be very costly for treatment and for this reason it is better not to take the risk of going without.
As it is the responsibility of the employer to provide the health cover for domestic workers then discuss with them their plans for medical insurance before you begin work. They may have a policy already in place that will cover all of your needs or you may need to encourage them to put one in place. A reminder that they will have to cover any costs if you do need treatment should be enough!
Expat Health can help you and your employer to find a policy that will meet all of your needs and at a reasonable cost too. Keep in mind that the cost of consultations and treatment might be far higher than you were expecting them to be and medical insurance can prevent a hefty bill from giving you a nasty surprise.