Since the roll out of mandatory health insurance in Dubai, many employers are engaging in a race to the bottom to find the cheapest health insurance on the market.
While there are certainly options available, the cheapest health insurance in Dubai may not be the right fit for your business or your employees. Basic packages may afford your staff with the minimum level of cover required by law but should employees or their dependants suffer from an illness or accident that falls outside of this cover, they could be out of pocket, out of work, and both your business and the employee in question would suffer the consequences.
What do we mean by basic health insurance?
Many basic insurance policies cover treatments such as GP visits, specialist referrals, emergency treatment, maternity care, and certain necessary surgical procedures.
Often such policies require the insured to pay a percentage towards even basic treatments while others exclude treatment for certain conditions such as obesity. These basic policies also tend to exclude dependants and domestic staff. Dental treatment, domiciliary care and cosmetic care are also usually excluded from such policies.
Providing this level of cover to your staff – while it may cost less in the short-term – usually carries additional long-term costs and may require staff to take out further individual policies to “top up” their cover.
Many basic insurance policies cover treatments such as GP visits, specialist referrals, emergency treatment, maternity care, and certain necessary surgical procedures.
Consequences of basic health insurance
If you are looking to provide the cheapest health insurance in Dubai, then you can only offer the lowest possible level of cover. While this may save you money short-term, it passes on an additional cost to your staff as they will likely turn to the Essential Health Benefits (EHB) package to enhance their benefits.
The EHB is the lowest level of personal cover available on the market and covers GP visits, essential surgery, emergencies and the like. Such policies are usually taken out by low-income employees on basic healthcare packages looking to insure their dependants and domestic staff.
Again, these policies require the holder to pay a percentage towards most treatments, putting your staff under unnecessary financial stress in already difficult circumstances. What’s more, should they suffer from illness or injury that they are not insured for, not only will they suffer a financial consequence, but they may not be able to treat it in the most efficient manner, leading to a longer period away from work.
Why should I give my UAE staff the best possible cover?
With mandatory health insurance in place throughout Dubai and much of the UAE, it can be tempting to seek the out the cheapest possible option. However, such cheap policies can end up costing more, for both your business and its employees, in the long run.
Once you have factored in any additional payments required for certain procedures outside the basic policy, added extra premiums for dependants, and considered the potential impact of treatment delays caused by inadequate cover, a more enhanced package becomes the logical choice.
With healthcare costs on the rise in the UAE, a comprehensive health insurance package is a must. With mandatory health insurance in place in Dubai, you are going to have to pay a cost for health insurance, so it makes sense to pay a cost for the plan that best suits your needs.
Finding the plan that’s right for you
Finding the right health insurance package for you and your employees doesn’t need to be complex. Simply decide on the level of cover you need and find an insurer that can provide it.
When making your decision, try to avoid seeking out the cheapest health insurance available, and instead look for a package that offers full peace of mind and covers you for every eventuality – at a price you can afford.
There are many packages available for employees, dependants, and domestic staff that cover everything from the basics such as GPs visits and emergency treatment, through to enhanced cover for cosmetic procedures, dental care and non-emergency surgery. It is simply a case of finding a package that’s right for you – rather than trying to put a square peg in a round hole simply because the price is right.
Why choose Lifecare?
Why choose Lifecare for your health insurance? Quite simply, because we’re not like the rest. We understand that life is full of risks – and unexpected events can dramatically impact our lives and the lives of our loved ones.
That’s why, while our insurance products won’t protect you from unexpected events, they will protect you from financial loss.
At Lifecare, we help you choose the types of risks you wish to cover, by choosing the right kind of policy, and with the benefits you most need. We give you peace of mind – something the cheapest health insurance in Dubai most certainly will not.