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Health Insurance

Does my UAE health insurance cover me against Covid-19?

Global panic in stock markets around the world, as well as the World Health Organisation’s concerns about the spread of Covid-19 (coronavirus), are causing many UAE residents to query whether their current health insurance cover provides essential protection. If your existing health insurance is provided by your employer, you’ll need to speak with your manager or occupational health team about this; however, the CompareInsurance team has issued this update for anyone in the UAE with private health care insurance.

Worried about UAE health care insurance cover against Covid-19?

You will already have seen and read lots of news stories about Covid-19, and Gulf News is running a story about ways to protect yourself against catching the virus while at work or travelling. One of the most common queries about the virus relates to health insurances, and whether cover will be available. This will all depend on the type of medical health insurance you have. The quickest way to discover if you’re covered is to get in touch with your insurer direct – this is especially vital if you’ve recently returned from countries like China, Iran or Italy.

It’s likely that your health care insurance will cover you for treatment if you do develop Covid-19, as it is a viral infection. Some individuals do have medical exclusions noted on their Certificates of Insurance. For example, if your Certificate has an exclusion for any respiratory conditions or any pre-existing condition that could be impacted by Covid-19, then you may not be covered for diagnosis or treatment if you develop the infection.

Income protection insurance can help if you need to self-isolate

Many Dubai and UAE employers are stressing the importance of self-isolation if you have worries about visits to areas that have already been severely affected by Covid-19. One way to protect your income throughout any long term self-isolation is via an income protection plan. Just so long as your existing health insurances don’t include medical exclusions, an income protection policy could be the perfect insurance protection needed. You can browse our website to discover more, or chat with one of our experts online to discuss any issues or concerns you may have.

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Travel Insurance

Should you get travel insurance for a business trip?

It’s quite common for companies to send their best and brightest members of staff on business trips – sometimes overseas. The bulk of the cost will be covered by the employers, with travel, accommodation and necessities such as food being expenses that you can claim back. Your company, however, might not offer to pay your travel insurance. This leaves you with a decision to make: do you go without or fork out the money from your own pocket? The answer is that it’s always better to have travel insurance – especially when it’s so easy to get for cheap. Let’s have a look at three reasons why you need to be covered when going on a business trip.

Expenses

You obviously don’t want to be out of pocket for a trip that’s for work. Unfortunately, you risk this happening when you don’t get travel insurance. Take, for instance, if you were to injure yourself. A trip to the hospital could mean you’re left facing huge bills – and it might be unlikely that your company will go to the effort of picking up the tab.

Privacy

Even if you do expect your company to pick up the bill, you might be put off by the prospect of sharing certain details about your health. For example, if you were to slip in the bathtub. The prospect of sharing such a private matter with others might not be something you’ll want to consider, so you’d be better off mending your injuries yourself and simply claiming the costs back on your travel insurance.

Productivity

Productivity is at the heart of every business trip. However, if you’re not covered for accidents and injuries then you might not be able to reach your full potential – which in the process could disappoint your employer. Consider this: if you’re putting off medical treatment because you’re worried about the possible costs, it could mean that you get worse as a result and therefore further hinder your ability to do a great job.

What can you do?

Luckily it’s so easy to sort out your own cheap travel insurance quotes before going on a business trip. You simply have to visit Compare Insurance and then check out the rates offered by the different providers.

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Health Insurance

Health insurance: which plan is right for you?

Have you been looking at health insurance plans but don’t quite understand what they entail? Don’t panic, instead allow us to go through everything you need to know, which will hopefully help you with making your choice.

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Health insurance plans tend to come in four different categories. Generally speaking, these are Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Depending on which plan you choose, the rate you pay will change accordingly.

How they work

Each plan has a different amount that you are required to pay. There is normally a fixed monthly amount that you pay for your health insurance – known as the premium – as well as an additional amount to pay when you need to make a claim. Below are some estimates for how the costs will be split when you make a health insurance claim:

Bronze: insurance company pays 60%, you pay 40%
Silver: insurance company pays 70%, you pay 30%
Gold: insurance company pays 80%, you pay 20%
Platinum: insurance company pays 90%, you pay 10%

Which plan is for you?

If you take out a Bronze plan then you will be paying the highest amount of all the plan levels each time you see a doctor, or you are given a prescription. The latter is known as and sometimes referred to as an ‘out-of-pocket cost’. The Bronze plan also means you pay the lowest monthly premium.

At the other end of the scale, the Platinum plan involves you paying the lowest to see your doctor or for your prescriptions, but this comes with the highest monthly premium in return. The Silver and Gold plans fall in between these two extremes.

Summary

In simple terms, the more care you require should dictate which health insurance plan you go for. If you are someone who requires a lot of medical help or large insurance cover, such as a sportsman, a student, or a family with lots of children then the Platinum or Gold plans are for you, whereas if you do not require much medical help or assistance then you should probably consider the Silver or Bronze plans.

To get health insurance quotes, or to compare plans from different providers, why not go to this link to find the best deal for you.

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Travel Insurance

Worried about losing your luggage? Get travel insurance

The average person gets travel insurance to cover themselves against any possible injuries or illnesses when on holiday. This is, of course, a very sensible thing to do. However, a lot of people forget that insurance actually protects them against more than just humongous medical expenses. Instead, the cover can be used if you lose your luggage – either on the journey to or from your vacation destination. Let’s have a look at why it’s always so important to have this protection when going on holiday.

Before

There are a lot of people who are unsure about packing their favourite items of clothing when they go away. This isn’t right, especially since you should look and feel your best when on holiday. Thankfully, you won’t feel deterred from packing your most expensive pair of trainers or your priciest jeans if you know that you’ll receive money to replace them should your luggage become lost.

During

It will always leave a sour taste in your mouth if you lose your luggage. However, it’s true to say that you’ll shield most of the blow if you’ve got travel insurance. You won’t have to worry about how you’ll be able to afford to replace everything, meaning you can instead maintain a more positive frame of mind during your trip. This should ensure that you enjoy yourself even in the event that your luggage gets lost.

After

There won’t be anything to stop you from bouncing back when you return from your holiday. Your travel insurance provider will let you know how much money you’re entitled to after losing your luggage, so you’ll be able to start replacing items sooner rather than later. This ultimately means that you shouldn’t have to pinch those pennies just to re-fill your wardrobe with clothes that shouldn’t have gone missing in the first place.

Let us help

Losing your luggage is never pleasant, but you’ll cushion the blow to you and your holiday if you are fully covered. Therefore, don’t wait to get your hands on cheap travel insurance by sizing up different providers through Compare insurance.

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Travel Insurance

Going on a short city break? You’ll still need travel insurance

A city break typically lasts just a few days. Due to this, many travellers wrongly presume that they’ll be fine without travel insurance. After all, what’s the worst that can happen in such a short space of time? Well, these people might be surprised to learn that a lot can happen during a weekend – and the likelihood of falling ill is still high when you’re on this kind of trip. Let’s look at three reasons why you still need travel insurance even when you’re just going on a short city break.

Pace

There’s simply no time to waste when you’ve got an entire city to explore in just a matter of days. This means many will push themselves to the absolute limit – with early starts and loads of walking. This can, of course, all be rather exhausting. While this type of behaviour might equate to a great time and many unforgettable memories being made, it also weakens your immune system and makes you more susceptible to falling ill.

Hygiene

Cities like London, Rome and Paris can be magical – but because they’re so vast, not everything will look like the brochures. Unlike holiday resorts that cater exclusively to tourists, in a big city it takes just one wrong turn to end up eating in a place that might not exhibit the best levels of hygiene. It can take just one undercooked meal or one filthy handrail for you to suddenly become very ill.

Budget

You’ll find that many cities tend to have a high cost of living, largely because of their populations. This is why food, accommodation and indeed medical supplies can be very expensive. Rather than incur huge bills when you fall ill or injure yourself, you should instead cover yourself with travel insurance. This will mean that you might be able to claim back at least some of the cost.

Don’t go without!

Travel insurance is always important whenever you go away – and this includes those occasions when you’re only going on a quick city break. Thankfully you don’t have to pay more than necessary if you size up the best quotes by checking out Compare Travel Insurance.

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Travel Insurance

The secret cost of forgoing travel insurance

These days it’s easier than ever for people to get their hands on cheap travel insurance before going away on holiday. However, the cost – no matter how affordable – can still be off-putting to many people. This is understandable, especially when you consider that most travellers might have already spent a small fortune on just booking the vacation. You should know that there’s a hidden cost to not having travel insurance – and often it’s a price that’s just not worth paying. Let’s have a look at the hidden cost of going away without travel insurance.

Value

You, of course, want to get as much out of your holiday as possible. This includes making sure that you see the most wonderful sights and take part in the most adventurous activities. After all, this will no doubt be why you’ve spent so much money on going away in the first place. Unfortunately, you’ll sometimes find that you can’t do everything you want when you don’t have travel insurance. You might fear getting ill or injured if you partake in certain activities – in the process meaning you have to sit stuff out. The end result is that you just won’t be getting good value out of the money you’ve already spent on your trip.

Waste

You can remedy an illness or injury immediately if you’ve got travel insurance. While this might involve a trip to the doctor, you’ll at least know that the bulk of the cost will be covered by your insurance and that the treatment you receive will be excellent. The same, of course, can’t be said when you don’t have travel insurance. Often people rack up considerable expenses (massages for injuries, bandages for cuts, medicine for illness etc.) because they can’t afford to go down the other more effective routes for fear of a big bill. Sadly, most do incur these wasted costs before ultimately still having to seek proper medical assistance.

Play it safe

Travel insurance won’t just ensure your health is in safe hands when on holiday, but will also go some length to making sure you don’t encounter these hidden costs. Therefore, don’t wait to find cover by checking out Compare Insurance.

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Car Insurance

Why does your annual mileage affect your car insurance?

There will always be a number of factors which will affect the price of your car insurance. This includes your age, profession and the vehicle that you will be driving. The majority of providers will also be interested in your annual mileage when determining your quote. This is the number of miles that you will – or think you will – be covering in the space of one year. The question is: why do the providers want to know this and why does it affect your ability to get your hands on third party car insurance? This is what you need to know.

Time on road

Your annual mileage will give insurance providers a rough idea of just how much you intend to use the car to determine the average cost of car insurance. This then helps them to determine the likelihood that you could be in an accident. Take, for instance, if you do a 40-minute commute to work each day. Due to the fact that you’ll probably be spending upwards of an hour on the road, it becomes more likely that you’ll be in an accident compared to someone who might only do a 10-mile commute and therefore only find themselves on the road for a shorter time every day.

Condition of car

You should know that your car becomes more worn with each mile it’s on the road. This happens in numerous ways, but generally, there’s an increased risk of damage to the engine and tyres when a car is readily used. Therefore, insurance providers tend to presume that someone who racks up a lot of miles in one year is more likely to be in an accident due to the fact that their vehicle will be less reliable. This won’t always be the correct assumption to make but it’s still how providers decide upon quotes.

What can you do?

You can still find cheap car insurance even if you’re planning on having an unusually high annual mileage. The trick is to make sure that you’ve weighed up all your different options by comparing insurance quotes. This will ensure that you don’t have to fork out more money than necessary to get your car insured.

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Car Insurance

Don’t wait to buy your car before checking car insurance quotes

It tends to be the case that people will only start looking up car insurance quotes after buying a vehicle. However, what most people don’t realise is that it’s actually in their interest to have different providers in mind before they part with their cash. This is something to consider if you’re in the market for a new motor but want to have a clear picture of how much you could be spending on car insurance. Let’s look at three reasons why you shouldn’t wait to buy a car before checking car insurance.

Budget

You’ll have a much better idea of how much you can spend on your car if you know roughly how much it will cost for car insurance. Take, for instance, if you can find a provider that will provide save money car insurance for you. Once you’ve got this knowledge, you should then have a much better idea of your budget. It could even mean that you’re potentially able to go for a newer or better-conditioned model.

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You might think that the price of your car insurance will largely depend on such things as your age and experience. However, the sum of your insurance can also depend greatly on the type of vehicle you choose. Cars fall into different insurance categories depending on details such as the make, model and engine size. Once you find a car, you should compare different insurance quotes to check how much your desired vehicle affects the price.

Speed

The process of buying a car will run much smoother if you’ve priced up the insurance before purchasing the vehicle. In some cases, you can simply accept a pre-existing quote before driving off the forecourt. This should mean that you can start enjoying the open road as soon as you’ve got a car rather than only then having to start your search for cheap car insurance.

It starts now!

You can start checking out the price of car insurance by using Compare Insurance. This should help you to narrow down any vehicles that you might be choosing between and ensure that you’re good to go from the moment you’re the owner of the car.

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Travel Insurance

Three ways your holiday health problems could start on the flight

The average person manages to steer clear of accidents or illnesses on a normal day. This is, of course, why so many believe that they can do the same on holiday. Unfortunately, travellers tend to put themselves in more risky situations when taking a vacation – and it all starts with the flight. If you’re travelling by plane, you should know that there’s an instant threat to your health from the moment you board. Let’s look at three ways your health could take a hit during a flight.

Respiration

You open yourself up to a range of health problems from the moment you step foot into a cabin. In fact, the term ‘aerotoxic syndrome’ is readily used to describe the conditions that people are faced with during a flight. In most cases, you are more likely to suffer from a range of respiratory problems. These can be short and uncomfortable, but they can also develop into larger medical problems in the days and weeks after the flight.

Ears

The change in pressure causes many flyers to experience varying degrees of pain when the flight is both descending and ascending. While for most this is short-lived, for others it’s just the start. If an eardrum ruptures, there can be bleeding or the leaking of fluid. There’s also increased likelihood of an ear infection, especially if flyers touch the affected area either during or after the flight.

Rest

You can experience a possible disruption to your sleeping routine when you fly, especially during long-haul flights or during flights where you cross time zones. The end result can be that – as well as feeling stiff and achy when you get off the flight – you’re also lacking energy. When your body isn’t well-rested, it’s less able to fight off any illnesses that it might come into contact with.

Stay safe!

The best way to stay safe on holiday is to ensure that you’re adequately covered. You can do this by finding cheap travel insurance at Compare Insurance. This will ensure that you don’t need to worry about whatever health hazards the flight could throw at you.

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Health Insurance

A quick guide to health insurance in the UAE

Although UAE healthcare is free for all citizens, expats working in the Emirates often struggle to meet medical costs, particularly dental charges; so much so that many expats prefer to fly back to their country of origin for any kind of dental treatment. What’s more, UAE citizens and expats alike find it difficult to access the specialist and high tech services available at Dubai Healthcare City without medical insurances. Although all employers are legally obliged to provide health insurances, the cover provided may not be adequate and does not cover family members and dependents.

If you’re considering taking out private medical insurance in the UAE, there are lots of different things to consider. First off, you’ll need to decide whether to take out a fully underwritten health insurance plan or opt for a moratorium plan.

What’s the difference between moratorium health cover and fully underwritten health insurance?

The main difference between the two policies is that fully underwritten health insurance requires you to provide your insurer with your entire medical history – this choice can work out cheaper over the long term and may offer far more medical insurance than a moratorium policy. Here in the UAE, a fully comprehensive insurance of this nature can be the best way for speedy access to more specialist, private healthcare.

With a moratorium policy, you simply need to complete a questionnaire, giving a limited amount of detail to your chosen insurer. This can be a much simpler way to insure your health, but it may not offer the extensive coverage you’d acquire with fully underwritten insurance. The choice between the two comes down to your budget and own health history.

Specialist health insurance

You can also opt for specialist medical insurance, which simply covers against certain treatments or in specific criteria. Examples include medical insurance for over 50s and medical insurance for specific conditions. This type of insurance can help you to compile the medical coverage you need, while also relying on any free services in your locality for any other medical conditions. One major benefit of specialist medical insurance is that it can help you skip the queues for a range of treatments and diagnostic tests, such as CT scans, knee or hip replacement surgery, and cataract surgery.

What does private health insurance cover?

You’ve probably already recognised that different private health insurance policies offer varying service models. You can rely on most policies to cover you for inpatient care at any time you need to overnight in a hospital setting. Although outpatient treatments also tend to be covered by most policies, the amounts that can be claimed back are very different as caps are often in place.

In addition, some insurance policies cover the costs of drugs that are not readily available locally, and may also provide some cover for psychiatric care. If you already have a pre-existing medical condition, your insurance premiums will be impacted, although it is still possible to source the policy you need.

Check out Compare Insurance now to discover the wide range of policies available in the UAE and worldwide.

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