Dubai: Dubai’s two leading public hospitals will start accepting direct billing for all medical insurance card holders from next month, it was announced on Thursday.
Starting November 7, Rashid and Latifa hospitals and the Mankhool Health Centre of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) will accept direct billing.
Dr Haider Al Yousuf, director of Public Health Funding at the DHA, told Gulf News: “Earlier, we extended direct billing to only emergency services. now we have extended direct billing to all health services which include inpatient, outpatient and emergency services, in these three places. This indicates that the DHA is expanding its health insurance coverage and, like all private hospitals, is accepting major health insurance cards. By next year, most DHA facilities will have direct billing including all Primary Health Centres.”
In line with this agreement, the DHA has signed contracts with 34 insurance companies earlier and Dr Al Yousuf added that was just the beginning. “We have arrangement with all health insurance (firms) to be included in the direct billing service.”
The DHA aims to provide health services to those who are insured based on the best standards. Around 5,000 patients who are privately insured have been treated since the DHA launched the direct billing service.
Humaid Al Qutami, director-general of DHA, said it was important to raise awareness among the public about the benefits of health insurance, especially as it protects residents in the case of any emergency that might require expensive surgeries.
He added that the DHA had started implementing the health insurance law since 2013 in flexible phases that gave companies and individuals an opportunity to buy health insurance that is available at different rates. Expanding the services to Latifa Hospital and Mankhool Health Centre is also part of the authority’s plan to successfully implement the health insurance law.
Dr Al Yousef added that 3.4 million Dubai residents have been insured so far and the DHA is continuously working on strengthening the health insurance system and expanding the network.
