Prime Highlights
- The UAE has expanded its basic health insurance network from 100 to 380 providers, improving access to affordable healthcare for private-sector workers and domestic helpers.
- The move supports job stability and worker welfare, offering broad medical coverage at one of the country’s lowest insurance costs.
Key Facts
- The Dh320 annual policycovers chronic illnesses, emergency care, telemedicine, free consultations and lab tests, with defined co-payment limits.
- Employers are required to pay the full costof the insurance to issue or renew residency permits, under nationwide coverage effective from January 1, 2025.
Background
The UAE has expanded the network of healthcare providers offering its Dh320 basic health insurance package for private-sector workers and domestic helpers, raising the total number of providers to 380 nationwide from 100 earlier.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) said the move strengthens access to affordable healthcare and supports job stability across the private sector. The package includes treatment for chronic illnesses with no waiting period, emergency care, ambulance and transport services, telemedicine, free doctor consultations and laboratory tests.
The ministry confirmed that the price of the policy remains Dh320 per year, making it one of the most affordable health insurance plans in the country. The policy is valid for two years, and if a work permit is cancelled in the first year, the fee for the second year is refundable. Dependants of insured workers can also access the same benefits at preferential rates.
Under the scheme, inpatient treatment requires a 20 per cent co-payment, capped at Dh500 per visit and Dh1,000 per year. Outpatient services carry a 25 per cent co-payment, limited to Dh100 per visit, while follow-up visits for the same condition within seven days are free. For medicines, beneficiaries pay 30 per cent, with a yearly cap of Dh1,500.
Employers must purchase the insurance as a mandatory requirement to issue or renew residency permits. The full cost is borne by private employers, including sponsors of domestic workers.
The scheme was first rolled out in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, following a Cabinet decision to extend health insurance coverage across the UAE from January 1, 2025.
MOHRE said it completed an impact review in December and has opened public consultations to gather feedback, aiming to further improve healthcare access and service quality for workers across the country.
