The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) said last week that while the deadline for mandatory health insurance in Dubai is June 30, penalties will not be imposed on individual sponsors who fail to insure themselves, employees and dependents until the end of the year.
“Individuals, their families and their employees - such as maids, cooks etc. - will be given a grace period until the end of the year,” Dr. Haidar Al Yousuf, director of health funding at DHA, said. “We urge everyone to abide by the law, which aims to protect not only their dependents but also the sponsors.”
Al Yousaf also said the DHA will put together workshops to show companies how to provide the basic insurance package needed by the law.
“Having your dependents insured will not only protect and save their life in the case where they might need urgent medical intervention; it also protects the sponsor,” Al Yousuf said. “If the sponsor insures the employee they will only have to pay around Dh500 to get him/her medically covered for a whole year. However if their employee was not insured and suddenly entered the ICU and required surgery, the employee will have to cover the medical costs, which can reach up to hundreds of thousands of dirhams.”
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