Mandatory Dubai health insurance deadline extended

Dubai: The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) will continue accepting health insurance applications in 2017 due to the massive rush by residents to buy insurance packages in the last few days of the year. This is the second extension of deadline by the authorities in order to give enough time to the remaining people still without insurance, who number around 80,000. However, the new deadline has not yet been specified. Dubai residents who fail to secure mandatory health insurance cover will face a fine of Dh500 per month. Apart from the fine, no new visa will be granted and no existing visas renewed without health insurance, according to Dubai Health Authority rules. In a statement to Gulf News, the DHA said: “The Dubai Health Authority has made the decision due to the high influx of customers flocking to insurance companies in the last few days and in consideration to those who were not able to get the insurance in time due to one circumstance or other.” Dr Haidar Al Yousuf, director of Health Funding at DHA, said all insurance companies are working non-stop to cope with the number of companies and individuals coming to get the health insurance. He added that there has also been a large number of online transactions on the insurance companies’ websites. Gulf News