Cheapest Expat Health Insurance Plans in UAE

The above plans and premiums are for AED 1,000,000 Sum insured for 1 Adult of 30 Years for Dubai city.

Whether it is the UAE or any other foreign country, moving abroad and building a whole new life is quite challenging. You must take care of living arrangements, transportation, bank accounts, and whatnot. Finding an Expatriate health insurance plan is one such relocation essential. Having a proper health insurance plan is mandatory for all Expats living and working in the UAE. While employers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi provide their employees with mandatory health insurance, Expats in other emirates must fend for themselves. In addition to that, employer provided insurance may not always cover everything that an individual may need. So, to lend you a helping with health insurance arrangements, we have prepared this piece about Expat health insurance UAE. You will find main features, the cheapest Expat health insurance plans in the UAE and tips to find the right coverage here. Let’s begin.

Top Features and Benefits of Expat Health Insurance in Dubai

Worldwide Coverage: Many Expatriate health insurance plans in the UAE offer worldwide coverage. You can get global coverage with many of the cheapest Expat health insurance plans, costing AED 2000-3000 yearly making them both affordable and ideally comprehensive.
Hospitalisation Benefits: All UAE Expat insurance plans for healthcare come with exclusive in-patient benefits. These are also known as hospitalisation benefits. Basic in-patient services you can find in UAE health insurance plans include room rent benefit, ambulance cost cover and companion accommodation cover.
Daycare Benefits: Depending on your choice, the cheapest Expat health insurance can also cover daycare procedures. These are those treatments and surgeries that do not require hospitalisation for any more than 24 hours. For example, dental procedures or cataract surgeries. Most Expatriate insurance plans with dental and optical covers have daycare benefits covered.
Maternity Cover: Almost every cheap Expat health insurance plan in the UAE covers maternity services. Everything from doctor visits and ultrasound to delivery expenses is covered. Most plans also cover complicated deliveries and c-sections as well.
Outpatient Benefits: Medical services that you receive after being discharged from the hospital after a surgery or course of treatment are known as outpatient services. Most of the cheapest Expat health insurance plans cover outpatient benefits with co-payment. This can include medicines and diagnostic tests.
Pre-Existing Conditions Cover: All health insurance plans must cover pre-existing health conditions, as per the regulations set by the UAE government. However, a certain waiting period may apply in some cases, ranging from 6 months to 2 years. Every pre-existing condition you declare is covered in these plans.
Additional Benefits: Other benefits like the pharmaceutical cover, lab tests cover, diagnostic tests and radiology test cover are also included in many of the cheapest Expat health insurance plans. You can get cover for preventive healthcare services like vaccination.

Cheapest Expat Health Insurance Plans in the UAE

While there are many choices for you to cruise, we have prepared a concise list of the cheapest Expat health insurance plans from top providers in the UAE. There is one plan each for every provider listed to diversify your choices:

Orient Insurance i-Med

Yearly Premium – AED 875

Annual Coverage Offered – AED 150,000

Geographical Coverage – UAE

Key Benefits – In-patient and outpatient benefit with 20% co-payment, maternity cover, pharmaceutical cover and preventive services covered.

Details of the Plan

Orient Insurance i-Med insurance plan is one of the cheapest health insurance plans available in the UAE.
Both in-patient and outpatient services are covered in this plan with a 20% co-payment. Co-payment is limited to AED 500 for every session and AED 1000 in total for in-patient benefits. No cap is applied on outpatient benefits.
In-patient benefits of the plan include room rent benefit, ambulance expenses cover and companion accommodation allowance.
Room rent benefit covers expenses for shared hospital rooms.
Companion accommodation benefit can be used by a companion staying with a patient under 16 years of age. The limit of this benefit is AED 100. The benefit can be used for older patients as well if deemed medically necessary.
Pre-existing conditions and chronic illnesses are covered after the 6-month waiting period.
A maximum of 6 sessions can be availed for physiotherapy using this cheapest Expat health insurance plan. 20% co-payment applies here.
Lab tests and radiology tests are covered by the plan as well.
Emergency healthcare services are also covered. Emergency treatment for pre-existing diseases is also covered if you take approval from the provider within 24 hours.
Prescription medicines are covered with 30% co-payment and have a limit of AED 1500.
The maternity benefit of the cover begins after a waiting period of 40 days. The plan includes 8 doctor’s appointments and 3 ultrasounds. The plan comes with 10% co-pay applies.
Normal deliveries are covered with a sum of AED 7000 while complicated deliveries and c-sections are covered with a sum of AED 10,000.
The newborn cover is also included in the plan. It applies for 30 days after the baby is born.
20% co-payment applies to optical, dental and hearing aids and treatments.

Alliance Insurance Limited Plan

Yearly Premium – AED 2,396

Annual Coverage Offered – AED 150,000

Geographical Coverage - UAE, Indian Sub-Continent, Arab World, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Korea.

Key Benefits – In-patient with zero co-payment and outpatient benefit with 20% co-payment, maternity cover, pharmaceutical cover and preventive services cover.

Details of the Plan

Alliance Insurance Limited is one of the cheapest Expatriate health insurance plans offered by the provider. It comes with the NEXTCARE RN2 network which includes 800 clinics and 63 hospitals.
In-patient benefits of this cheapest Expat health insurance plan include benefits like room rent, companion accommodation and ambulance cost cover.
The room rent benefit of the plan allows you to stay in semi-private rooms of the hospital. The ambulance service of the plan can be taken from an authorised party in an emergency.
The companion accommodation covers the stay of the companion of patients younger than 16 years of age. The allotted limit of this cover is AED 100. The cover can be used for older patients as well if there is a medical emergency. Approval from the doctor may be required.
Pre-existing condition cover of the plan begins after a waiting period of 6 months.
Laboratory tests, diagnostic tests and radiology tests are covered without any co-payment.
Prescription medication cover is applicable with 15% co-payment and up to the limit of AED 3,000.
The policyholders can have 20 physiotherapy sessions covered in this Expatriate health insurance plan.
Preventive services of the plan cover benefits like necessary vaccination. The co-payment clause also applies.
The Alliance Health Insurance Limited plan also comes with maternity insurance benefits. Doctor visits, tests like ultrasound and delivery expenses are covered in this benefit. A 9-month-long waiting period applies here.
Delivery benefit in the maternity cover offers AED 7,000 for normal delivery and 10,000 for c-sections and complicated deliveries.
Other services covered by the plan include dental, optical and hearing treatments. Only emergency dental treatments are covered in the dental plan. 20% co-payment applies for all three additional covers.

Al Sagar Insurance Bronze Plan

Yearly Premium – AED 2,877

Annual Coverage Offered – AED 150,000

Geographical Coverage - UAE, Indian Sub-Continent, and the Philippines.

Key Benefits – In-patient and outpatient benefit with 20% coinsurance, maternity cover, pharmaceutical cover and preventive services cover.

Details of the Plan

Al Sagar Insurance Bronze plan is the cheapest Expat health insurance plan offered by the provider. It is most suitable for Expats who travel to nearby gulf countries quite a lot.
Both in-patient and outpatient benefits are offered in these Expatriate health insurance plans. The in-patient benefits are covered without any co-payment while outpatient benefits are covered with 20% co-payment.
In-patient benefits of the plan include room rent benefit, companion accommodation benefit and ambulance services.
Ambulance services can be covered when opted for in an emergency. The policyholder must use ambulance services from authorised providers in the UAE to get insurance cover.
The room rent benefit of this Expat insurance plan can be availed for semi-private rooms. A Sub-limit of AED 450 per night applies.
Companion accommodation benefits cover accommodation for parents/relatives accompanying a patient younger than 16 years of age. AED 200 is the daily limit applied on this benefit. In case medically required, companion accommodation can also be used for patients older than 16 years of age.
The Expatriate insurance plan covers pre-existing conditions after a waiting period of 6 months.
Laboratory tests, diagnostic tests and radiology tests are covered with 20% co-pay arrangement. Physiotherapy is also covered in the plan. The policyholders can avail of up to 6 sessions with the plan.
Prescription medication cover is also included in the plan with a sub-limit of AED 1500 and 30% coinsurance.
The maternity cover of the plan can be utilised after a 9-month-long waiting period. AED 7000 sub-limit is allotted for natural deliveries while AED 10,000 is allotted for c-sections and complicated deliveries. The benefit also includes a newborn cover.

DNIRC Silk Road – Plan C

Yearly Premium – AED 3,286

Annual Coverage Offered – AED 1,000,000

Geographical Coverage – Global

Key Benefits – In-patient with zero co-payment and outpatient benefit with 20% co-payment, maternity cover, pharmaceutical cover and preventive services cover.

Details of the Plan

The DNIRC Silk Road – Plan C is one of the cheapest Expat health insurance plan to go with if you are looking for comprehensive worldwide coverage. As evident, it is best suited for people who travel to different countries quite a lot for work or other purposes.
The plan comes with MEDNWT Silk network of hospitals and clinics. It includes 55 clinics, 1420 pharmacies and 43 hospitals.
In-patient benefits of the plan are provided with zero co-payment while the outpatient benefits are offered with 20% co-payment with AED 50 limit applicable on every consultation.
Companion accommodation, room rent and ambulance services are included in the in-patient benefits of the plan. Tests, medicines and follow-up visits to the doctor are included as outpatient benefits of the plan.
Parent/relative accompanying patient younger than 16 years of age can avail the companion accommodation cover at the hospital. The stay will be fully covered. For companions of patients older than 16 years, a limit of AED 100 per night applies.
The Expatriate insurance plan will cover ambulance expenses if taken in emergency cases and from authorised parties in the UAE.
Room rent benefit covers expenses for private rooms of the hospital. No sub-limit applies in terms of the rent of the room.
Pre-existing conditions and chronic illnesses are covered by this Expatriate insurance plan after a waiting period of 5 months. While a 40-day waiting period applies to maternity coverage of the plan.
Maternity cover of this Expat health insurance includes services like doctor visits, lab tests like ultrasounds and delivery expenses. 10% co-payment applies on both in-patient and outpatient services of maternity benefit.
Normal deliveries are covered with a sum of AED 10,000 while benefits worth up to AED 15,000 can be utilised in case of complicated deliveries and c-sections. The maternity plan also includes a 30-day long infant cover.
Laboratory tests and radiology tests are covered with 20% co-payment.
Added benefits like emergency dental, hearing and optical treatment can be utilised with 20% co-payment.
This Expatriate health insurance also covers 15 physiotherapy sessions with
Preventive services like vaccination are covered. Prescription meds are covered with 20% co-payment up to the total limit of the plan itself.

Adamjee Insurance Silk Road – Plan C

Yearly Premium – AED 3,715

Annual Coverage Offered – AED 1,000,000

Geographical Coverage – Worldwide

Key Benefits – In-patient with zero co-payment and outpatient benefit with 20% co-payment, maternity cover, pharmaceutical cover and preventive services cover.

Details of the Plan

The Silk Road – Plan C from Adamjee Health Insurance offers a rather comprehensive list of benefits as well as globally applicable coverage.
It includes in-patient as well as outpatient benefits. In-patient benefits of the plan are covered with nil co-payment while the outpatient benefits are covered after 20% co-payment clauses.
Included services in in-patient benefits are room rent cover, companion accommodation cover and ambulance charges cover.
The companion accommodation cover is available for people accompanying patients younger than 16 years of age. The cost of a companion stay with the insured patient will be fully covered here.
Insured older than 16 years of age can also avail of the companion accommodation benefit, However, a daily limit of AED 100 applies.
Room rent cover of this cheapest Expat health insurance plan covers expenses for staying in private rooms.
Pre-existing conditions that the insured person declares, in the beginning, are covered without any waiting period. Any undeclared conditions will be excluded from the cover. A sub-limit of AED 150,000 applies here.
Diagnostic tests, lab tests and radiology tests are covered with 10% co-payment arrangement.
Optical, hearing and dental covers of the plan are available with 20% co-pay.
Medicines are covered with 10% co-pay. The cheapest Expat health insurance covers only prescription medications, up to the assured sum of the plan.
15 physiotherapy sessions are covered with 20% co-payment.
Maternity cover of this Adamjee Insurance Expatriate health insurance plan includes benefits like doctor visits, deliveries and pre-natal tests like ultrasounds. The waiting period applicable here is 40-day-long. AED 10,000 sub-limit applies to normal delivery and c-section cover and AED 15,000 sub-limit apply to complicated deliveries and medically necessary terminations.
30-day-long infant cover is also provided in the maternity benefit of this plan.

How to Choose the Right Expatriate Health Insurance in the UAE?

Finding the cheapest Expat health insurance plan can often be confusing and tricky. However, with just a few pointers in mind, you can easily find the perfect Expatriate health insurance plan for yourself and your family. Given below are a few things you can follow for the same:

Check out the Coverage: Compare your requirements with the coverage of the plan that you want to buy. Some insurance plans, despite being affordable, may have a lot of things you do not need. For example, specialised critical illness cover. If you are not at the risk of getting any critical illness, this benefit will render you useless. Make sure that your cheapest Expat health insurance plan fits well with your requirements.
Requirements of Your Emirate: Different emirates in the UAE have different rules and requirements for health insurance. You will need to examine that before you set out to buy an Expat health insurance plan. For example, working Expats in Dubai get health insurance from their employers but the dependents don’t. Abu Dhabi Expats get insurance from employers for themselves as well as dependents. So, you need to figure out the level of coverage you already have before you buy a private plan. With employer-provided insurance, you may be able to make do with a secondary cheap health insurance plan for yourself.
Type of Expat Health Insurance: The type of Expatriate health insurance may depend on how many people you are going to insure and their age group. A family Expat health insurance plan is good when you live in the UAE with your spouse and children. A senior citizen health insurance plan may be good if you are living with your dependent parents.
Deductibles, Co-Pay and Co-Insurance: If you want to lower the price of your Expat health insurance plan, it is a good idea to choose high deductibles. Deductibles, co-pay and coinsurance – all three of them decreases the provider’s liability and hence the premium of the plan. If you think you are not going to make any big claims for a while and can afford to have high deductibles, use them to lower the premium of your comprehensive Expatriate insurance for healthcare.
Conduct Research: Ensure that you research your options properly before you finalise one final product. Research should not be limited to Expat health insurance plans only though. Research about the providers as well. Read customer reviews and find out the claim settlement ratio of the company. In short, your research should be well-rounded, checking all boxes.
Compare Options: Once you have conducted your research and figured out a few final options, compare them properly. Compare the plans, the prices as well as the benefits. Find out which of the cheapest Expat health insurance plan would be the most cost-effective.

In a Nutshell

When it comes to the cheapest Expat health insurance plans in the UAE, there is no one answer you will get. However, not every affordable plan will be the right one to pick. The best to choose your Expatriate health insurance is by weighing the cost-effectiveness of the plans. See if the plan you are picking is worth spending your money on. take a little bit of assistance from our financial experts to back your choice with market facts. Just a little bit of research and awareness goes a long way when it comes to picking Expatriate insurance for healthcare in Dubai.