New born? How to Buy Medical Insurance for Your Newborn

When a little one is born into a family, his/her protection is the topmost priority of new parents. If you are expecting a little one to enter this world soon, the first thing you should do is to have a medical plan for your newborn. Medical costs are exorbitant in the UAE, especially in private healthcare facilities. Having medical insurance for your newborn will offer protection in the unfortunate circumstance when the newborn might need immediate medical attention.

Today, we will discuss different health insurance options available for a newborn child in the UAE.

How to Obtain Medical Insurance for Your Newborn in the UAE?

For Dubai visa holders as per DHA Circular, a newborn baby is covered for the first 30 days under the mother’s policy. Within this period parents have to arrange medical insurance for newborns. For non-Dubai visa holders, parents have to arrange medical insurance for the newborn earlier. In order to do that,

First, Check Whether Your Company Insurance Policy Covers Your Newborn

As an expecting parent, your first step is to confirm whether your company covers dependent in their group policy. If yes, your newborn can be added on a pro-rata basis with the same benefits. As soon as you receive the birth certificate number, you should send a request to the insurer for adding the dependent (newborn) to the policy.

If your company does not cover dependent, then you can opt for a separate individual plan. You have the following two options when choosing a separate health plan for your child:

• For Dubai visa holders, one option is getting a basic policy with Minimum Essential Benefits as mandated by the DHA.
• Those seeking better medical coverage and for those living outside Dubai, one can get a comprehensive insurance plan from private insurers in the UAE

1. Basic Policy with Minimum Essential Benefits as Mandated by DHA – For Dubai visa holders only

With a basic policy, the provider pays for only medical expenses that are absolutely essential, as mandated by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Any medical expense that falls out of the scope of minimum essential benefits will be paid out of your pocket. You can check the basic policy through this link.

2. Comprehensive Insurance Plan from Private Insurers in the UAE

If you want greater coverage for your newborn, you can consider buying a comprehensive plan which comes with a wide variety of benefits and flexibility in terms of choosing desired healthcare providers, such as hospitals and clinics.

However, most of the insurers are reluctant to provide a child-alone policy, and those who provide separate medical insurance for your child require you to provide insurance proof of both parents.

To buy a comprehensive health plan for your baby, you will need to submit mandatory documents that include a medical application form (with the declaration of any ongoing condition) and a birth certificate.

When you choose to obtain a health insurance policy for your newborn child in the UAE, it protects your baby against the rising costs of quality health care for the rest of his/her life.

Can I Add My Newborn to My Existing Health Plan?

Parents with self-sponsored/individual plans can get their newborn added to the same health plan. Most healthcare insurance providers allow Dubai residents to make their newborns a part of the family’s existing health plan and provide newborns with immediate access to the entire range of covered benefits.

Do I Get Free Newborn Child Benefit in the UAE?

Yes. The majority of insurers in the UAE offer a Free New Child Benefit as part of their maternity cover. This benefit enables your baby to get a pre-defined amount of health coverage. However, once the financial limit or time limit is exhausted, you are required to file a new medical application with the insurance provider to ensure that your child gets continuous insurance protection.

Another thing you must know about Free New Child Benefit is that once this benefit is exhausted, any of your child’s medical conditions will be labeled as a pre-existing condition when you will apply for new coverage. While this alternative seems budget-friendly, it can be risky if your baby develops a medical condition in utero.

Before we end this discussion, let’s take a look at the changes that the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has made regarding health access for newborn babies with parents holding Dubai visas in the last couple of years.

No waiting period

No insurance provider can deny the treatment for any health condition for the first sixth months when adding a newborn baby to an existing plan/group policy or buying a new health plan for the newborn. So, as a parent, you don’t need to worry about paying out of your pocket for the treatment your baby needs from day one.

Backdating is allowed

You can add or enroll a newborn child with a start date that can be 7 days prior. This way, medical insurance covers all the medical expenses from your baby’s first day. If the baby is initially covered under the maternity cover, then the start date of baby insurance can be backdated and any expenses will be deducted from the child’s health policy instead of the mother’s insurance.

However, you must know that even though DHA has waived the waiting period in Dubai, there might be a waiting period before you can get your newborn added to your existing health plan in other parts of the UAE. Thus, you should also confirm whether the waiting period is scrapped if your emirate is other than Dubai.

If you have any queries about Newborn Child Insurance options in the UAE, feel free to contact us anytime at info@newageib.com or 04-3573378.

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