Smart improvements to Dubai mandatory health insurance
The enhancements will go live in October, according to a top health official
The Dubai Health Insurance Corporation’s (DHIC’s) updated online health insurance system will go live in October, said a top health official.
DHIC recently held a workshop with 50 insurance companies and 24 third-party administrators’ to educate them on the new system.
“We constantly strive to better the health insurance system,” says Saleh Al Hashimi, CEO of DHIC. “This smart transformation will provide enhanced features and directly benefit insured members and their sponsors by reducing the amount of paperwork needed and provide them with smart solutions. At the same time, it will eliminate any possibility of health insurance certificates being issued by unauthorised entities. It will also hold sponsors accountable at the time of visa issuance or renewal, if they have not provided continuous mandatory cover or if they have not complied with the law.”
Explaining the system, Al Hashimi adds, “At the time of visa issuance and renewal, the insurance verification, which is currently manual, will be electronic. This means there will be no need to provide printed insurance certificates or insurance cards. The smart system will allow people on an entry permit to obtain their insurance and once their visa is processed, automatically all the data will be synchronised into the system. This saves the sponsor or individual’s time by improving efficiency in the insurance enrolment process.”
As per General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs — Dubai (GDRFA) rules, an individual has a stipulated time period to obtain the residence visa after entry via entry permit. If the visa is not obtained within this time, the system flags this to the respective insurer.
At the time of visa issuance and renewal, the insurance verification, which is currently manual, will be electronic.
Al Hashimi says, “The system automatically links the visa with Emirates ID and residents do not need to approach their insurance company to update their emirates ID details. These enhanced features are especially beneficial for companies with large number of employees.
“One of the key features of the system is that insured members can avail treatment at their network providers using their Emirates ID and all their insurance details are linked to their Emirates ID number.”
The new streamlined process will allow the GDRFA to validate a resident’s insurance seamlessly and electronically. It also has a built-in system to detect any gaps in cover, and any applicable penalties on the sponsor for not insuring their employees/dependents.
“The completion of this development is another milestone for DHIC,” says Al Hashimi. “The roll-out of this system will further solidify the foundation of DHIC’s already robust electronic claims system. This successful implementation will lead to further initiatives in the future and advancements such as premium regulation and creating a unified patient journey for an insured resident in Dubai.”
In future, DHIC will introduce a claims payment cycle, which will provide standards, and guidelines that health facilities and insurance companies will have to adhere to in order to ensure a robust and efficient claims payment cycle.