Emergency 'uninsured' must be treated
“By law, all hospitals have to treat any patient in an emergency situation. Even if they are insured or not. Whether they are in network, or out of network,” said Dr Haidar Al Yousuf, director of health funding at the Dubai Healthcare Facility (DHA).
“In fact, there is a penalty on the hospital if they do not treat the patient. The law is very clear about the protection of people.”
He elaborated that “if a patient (still) does not have insurance, they will be treated until stabilisation. This is an exemption. It is not the rule.”
Dr Yousuf was talking on the sidelines of DHA’s decision to introduce direct billing services for all health insurances in Rashid Trauma Centre. This would mean insured patients will no longer need to pay and wait for reimbursement at Rashid Hospital’s Trauma and Emergency Centre.
And, by the end of the year, this service will be rolled out in all DHA facilities – hospitals and primary healthcare centres.
Dr Yousuf added, “By May, Latifa hospital will come under direct billing. By June, Phase 1 of primary care, which is through Al Barsha centre. And, by September, it will cover Rashid Hospital in full, and Dubai Hospital in October, and before the end of the year, all DHA centres.”
This, he added, will be line with the June-deadline for mandatory health insurance. “We are finding a lot of insurance companies offering affordable plans for dependents, elderly. And, this is a positive step.”
Humid Al Qatami, chairman of the board and director-general of the DHA, said, “This will offer patients a wider network of providers to choose from, it will provide easier payment options and it will also help foster positive competition between the private and public health providers, which ultimately benefits patients and helps maintain a high standard of healthcare.”
Dr Yousuf said that 75 per cent of expatriates in Dubai who have a Dubai residence visa, are presently covered by the mandatory health insurance policy and by the end of June, the remaining 25 per cent should be covered as part of the final stages of the roll out of the mandatory scheme.