In Dubai, a Dh600 basic health insurance will no longer cover most branded medicines

  • Date: 03-May-2021
  • Source: Gulf News
  • Sector:Healthcare
  • Country:UAE
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In Dubai, a Dh600 basic health insurance will no longer cover most branded medicines

Dubai: Dubai residents holding a basic health insurance policy will need a new policy or an upgrade to keep buying prescribed medicines under insurance coverage. This comes after several branded medicine prescriptions that were earlier part of the Dh600 a year 'Essential Benefits Plan' were removed mid-February. The intention was to offer a unified set of medicines – principally generic ones - under the basic policy and help lower the burden on insurance companies from claims. "Any medicine not covered as part of the unified 'formulary' will be taken on cash basis from the patients," said Vikas Katoch, Chief Operating Officer at Right Health. "The aim is to ensure unified access to the most effective medicines and treatments – and it's only applicable to Dubai." This came into effect from February 18 as part of the Dubai Health Authority's 'ISHAD' insurance system for healthcare in Dubai. For an upgrade, probably for those with no preexisting condition, it should be around another Dh800-Dh1, 000. An enhanced basic plan premium comes to around Dh1, 200-Dh1, 500 per year The Dubai Health Authority mandated insurers should start providing generic medication on basic plans earlier this year. "They also reduced the generic medication list