Cut backs in Abu Dhabi for state funded medical tourism

The objective is to increase the share that citizens and expatriate workers pay both on health insurance and private healthcare.

Health insurance for Emiratis is covered for free by the Thiqa scheme from the National Health Insurance Company (Daman).

For Emiratis, care at all Abu Dhabi’s public health care facilities continues to be fully covered, including fertility treatment. But cover is limited to a single attempted fertility treatment cycle per year at private facilities.

A 2015 survey shows that one in four citizens and expatriates in Abu Dhabi prefer to go abroad for treatment due to the high cost locally.

Abu Dhabi Health Authority used to send 3,000 patients a year to foreign countries such as Germany (33%), UK (22%) and US (16%).

Emiratis insured under the local Daman scheme could go anywhere for treatment, and Daman would pay all the costs. From July 2016, they have to pay for 50% of the fees if they seek treatment at facilities outside the emirate for care in specialities that are already available in Abu Dhabi. The original plan was to have limited this to anywhere in the UAE, including Dubai, but budget restrictions led to this wider allowance being cancelled.

Daman also insures expatriates and their families, and from July some expatriates not only have to pay a share of the insurance premium paid by their employer, but also a share in the costs of insured healthcare.

Emiratis used to get free health insurance and free healthcare both in state and private hospitals in Abu Dhabi and anywhere else. From July they will have to pay 20% of the cost of any private healthcare in Abu Dhabi and 50% of the cost of private healthcare outside of Abu Dhabi, including the rest of the UAE, if that treatment is available within the Abu Dhabi in state or private hospitals.

There are other restrictions and co-payments from July, plus other limitations to come on childbirth care and cover for domestic workers.

The overall plan is to make citizens use the state hospitals and where they and expatriates use private care in Abu Dhabi, for patients to bear a much larger share of costs.

One result will be to stem the flow of Abu Dhabi medical tourists to Dubai.

This is part of a trend across the Gulf to get expatriates and citizens to bear a larger share of healthcare and insurance costs, to limit payment for treatment outside of the state, and to push people to paying for private healthcare rather than getting it all free from the state.