Dubai residents rushed to buy health insurance following the mandatory cover deadline set by DHA

Tom Paye from compareit4me.com
17 May 2017

Interest in comparing and buying health insurance online in the UAE spiked significantly as Dubai residents rushed to make up for missing a deadline for getting covered set by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).

The DHA had mandated that every resident of Dubai should be covered with health insurance by March 31, 2017, or else face fines. However, according to insights from compareit4me.com, the Middle East’s leading comparison site, many residents were still lacking coverage by that point. The website recorded a 1,220% increase in organic traffic to its newly launched health insurance comparison platform in the weeks following the deadline, and a sharp uptick in health plan sales.

“This suggests that many Dubai residents had, perhaps inadvertently, struggled to meet the deadline for getting either themselves or the people they sponsor covered, and rushed to arrange a health plan after the deadline had passed,” said Jonathan Rawling, CFO of compareit4me.com.

“Given our health insurance comparison platform is new, we’d expect quick growth in the number of visitors to it, but even with the numbers on that trajectory, the weeks following the DHA’s deadline saw a definitive spike that is almost certainly linked to the fact that users needed health cover quickly.”

compareit4me launched the UAE’s first automated, online health insurance comparison platform in March, offering users the ability to compare quotes for any level of coverage. From well-off individuals looking for the highest levels of cover for themselves and their families, to those earning mid-range salaries looking for good value, the new platform caters to the entire spectrum of UAE residents.

Indeed, while many people have, in recent weeks, used the platform to meet the mandatory cover rule set by the DHA, compareit4me has also allowed users to save money on more fully featured health insurance policies. For mid-range plans priced between AED 2,000 and AED 4,000, the comparison website estimates that it has saved users, on average, over AED 400 each.

“This is what we want to achieve with our health insurance comparison platform – we believe that you shouldn’t purchase a health plan just to ‘tick a box’, but to ensure proper financial protection for yourself and your family. Those mid-range plans offer fabulous health coverage, and by allowing our users to save on policies like that, we’re making it easier to attain proper protection in the event of a serious illness or accident,” said Rawling.

“Of course, Dubai’s Essential Benefits Plan, available for those earning less than AED 4,000 per month, offers good value for money. But we’d really urge those earning more to do their research on the health plans available to them. Comparing options could not only save you money, but it could also land you with better coverage, which you’ll thank yourself for purchasing in the event of an emergency.”

For more information, please contact:
Tom Paye
compareit4me.com
tompaye@compareit4me.com
0509220642
Arenco Tower
488096 Dubai
United Arab Emirates

Category: Insurance (B2B OR B2C)
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