Relief for Dubai’s Dh600 basic health insurance plan holders on access to medicines

Relief for Dubai’s Dh600 basic health insurance plan holders on access to medicines

Dubai: Residents in Dubai with a basic insurance policy are getting partial relief. Some of the prescription medicines that were removed from the Dh600 'Essential Benefits Plan' have been reinstated - and more could be added to the list, according to top healthcare industry sources. It was in February that the list of medicines eligible under basic was dropped from more than 2,000 to about 700. It meant that these insurance policyholders had to pay out of their pockets if they still wanted to have those meds. The other option, equally expensive, would have been to upgrade their insurance policy. Now, the authorities "have been updating the list on a weekly basis and the current count is 960,“ said Bala N.S., CEO at Aster Retail, part of the Aster DM Healthcare Group. "We understand that the list could be further expanded. The [Dubai healthcare] authority is committed to including a comprehensive formulary to support the needs of patients.“ All of which will remove a major worry for affected policyholders. Many were caught completely off guard by the action taken in February. (Even bringing in lower cost options from outside is just about impossible.) It also meant that pharmacies were taking