Dubai: Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has said that mental health and alternative medicine treatments such as Ayurveda and Homoeopathy will now be covered under basic health insurance plan in Dubai.
A DHA circular said that the authority has upgraded the health insurance scheme in Dubai and issued new mandates and requirements to be included in the essential benefit plan issued in Dubai.
Basic health cover in Dubai will now include mental health and psychiatry, Ayurveda and Homeopathy, which were so far not covered in basic insurance cover – essential benefit plan, which is availed of by low-income workers with salary of up to AED4,000.
The circular stated that psychiatry and mental health inpatient, outpatient and emergency coverage will be up to AED10,000 per annum, with outpatient to get 20 per cent coinsurance payable by the insured per visit.
Alternative medicine cover for Homeopathy and Ayurveda is up to AED2,500 yearly with 20 per cent coinsurance payable by insured for outpatient per visit.
“The decision to include alternative medicine addresses the preferences of a significant segment of Dubai’s expats, especially those from the Indian subcontinent,” said Ashok Sardana, founder and managing director of the Continental Group, an insurance intermediary and financial services solutions provider in the GCC region.
“Basic health insurance plans that include alternative medicine and mental and emotional health coverage, will humanise healthcare, and encourage businesses in Dubai to empower both their employees and themselves, through a culture of holistic wellness,” he said.
The DHA’s decision to provide blue-collar workers insurance coverage for mental health and alternative therapies, is being seen as a revolutionary move.