AnotherWorld

Our company replaced our old medical insurance with a new one. My specialist said they sometimes refuse to pay out certain procedures because they don't deem them medically necessary, even though he, as a specialist chest physician does.

I must now
a) pay 50 dirhams for EVERY doctor and specialist visit
b) have NO coverage for dental except emergencies
c) have NO coverage for optical
d) have reduced worldwide coverage limited to the UAE or my own country

previously none of this was in effect. Back home I had dental, optical, free specialist treatment and a very small surcharge for GP with a zero charge for follow-up visits.

My company has reduced my benefits due to the need to "cut costs".

my lifestyle is a joke in this country already. How much more should I sacrifice to help the emirati's build their sandpit?

Hello.Kitty

Welcome to our medical insurance! Oh, and you'll probably want to check that they cover pre-existing conditions... they won't.

The Dean

50 dirhams for a medical appointment?

My God that's....... that's.............. OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!!!

(NB: This post contains sarcasm)

AnotherWorld

I understand and at first it didn't bother me. I only realised how it would become an issue is when I have an ongoing problem (as I do at the moment) and have to have multiple visits. I pay 50 dirhams per visit.

Blue Cat

50 dhs is hardly going to break the bank though surely?

Sky Blue

I had to pay 300 on my visit to the hospital...

Confucius

I also pay AED50 for saying good morning to my doctor...Almost everyone does...

Squirty Cream

This sounds about standard. Have you checked to see if you can 'top' it up yourself to increase the coverage?

Why shouldn't you pay for your medical costs anyway, this isn't a welfare state and expats seriously outnumber Emiratis, so suggest you 'suck it up and wind your neck in'.

Spugsy

yeah we have designated hospitals we have to go to now as well, and I can;t go to the american hospital where I've been a few times and who are brilliant.

Spugsy

I had some quite bloody horrific bites on my legs before xmas, pharmacist told me to go to the emergency room, they checked me in, were great really, gave me cream and anti histimine and off I went,

cost me AED 550.

lionheart

We paid the equivalent of well over AED5,000 to have our daughter born in Saudi Arabia over five years ago. It would have been an extra AED2,500 if a Caesarian had been performed. Anything connected with medicine is bloody expensive over here.

commander

yea, we paid for our daughter in Dubai.

Now luckily my insurance company covers everything, at absolutely no cost whatsoever to us.

Its the best medical cover i have ever had. Truly brilliant. All clames handles on line, money back in the account within a week.

Group Henner...

AnotherWorld

So to conclude, I'm better off back home being covered under Medicare and paying only $600 a year in private health insurance on top of that?

My gripe is the fact that I have been relocated but medically worse off as my medical costs have gone up since I arrived. I think some of you possibly expect a lot less as a relocated expatriate employee than me...

Hello.Kitty

lol - here it's 15k for the birth, 25k for a c-section and another 4k for the 12antenatal check-ups! Down's syndrome testing 500 AED a pop, 20 week nomaly scan 500 AED - neither covered because they fall under "genetic defects".

Got a friend who came over when she was already pregnant and her hubby's medical doesn't cover it - it being a "pre-existing condition"... ouch!

As for being better off at home - yeah, I love the NHS!

commander

my wife had a c-section and it certainly didnt cost 25K??