Mediclinic gets shot in the arm as Abu Dhabi waives treatment payment

Healthcare provider Mediclinic International said that it will monitor the changes on its Middle East business after Abu Dhabi waived 20% of the co-payment for Thiqa health insurance card holders.

On Wednesday, Abu Dhabi crown prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan waived 20% co-payment for holders of a Thiqa medical insurance card, when receiving treatment at the private healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi, with immediate effect.

This will mean that United Arab Emirates (UAE) residents holding the the insurance card will be completely covered when visiting a private healthcare facility in Abu Dhabi.

The Thiqa card, which was was established in 2007 to offer health insurance for UAE nationals, is provided by number of partners with national health insurance company Daman for the UAE government.

The 20% co-payment was brought in last June and was waived for three care centres in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in January, while regulatory Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) introduced a 20% co-payment for Thiqa patients using private healthcare facilities on 1 July.

FTSE 100 comapany Mediclinic said that they are awaiting to receive details of the changes from HAAD and will continue “to monitor the regulatory environment and the extent to which these changes will affect the Middle East operating platform”.