Dubai Health Authority announces health cover roll-out plan

Companies of varying sizes were issued deadlines on Tuesday by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) to meet mandatory health insurance coverage laws starting in 2014.

Following a meeting between the DHA and health insurance companies in Dubai on Tuesday, a new timetable offers deadlines for three categories of companies based upon the number of employees on their payroll — larger companies with wider profit margins will be required to ensure complete insurance coverage sooner while smaller companies will have until mid-2016 to meet the call.

Companies with more than 1,000 employees, for example, must insure all of its workers by October 2014.

The new Health Insurance Law was approved by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.