UAE: Daman mulls plan to reward those with healthy lifestyles
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | Jul 2016
The National Health Insurance Company - Daman is looking at ways to introduce reward schemes for policyholders who embrace healthy lifestyles and exhibit a responsible approach to medical care.
Dr Michael Bitzer, Chief Executive of Abu Dhabi-headquartered Daman, said that plans in the pipeline included measures to reward policyholders who are active, healthy and shun habits such as smoking, which causes chronic conditions that have huge associated healthcare costs, reported The National newspaper.
He said that patients often do not know – or do not care – how much their medical treatment costs, a factor that indirectly increases the cost of insurance. An incentive scheme would give people a focus. “It exists in some markets. We want not only to reward healthy living but also reasonable behaviour.”
Daman’s idea has the backing of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Speaking on the sidelines of the MENA Health Insurance Congress in Dubai, Dr Haidar Al Yousuf, Director of Health Funding at the DHA, said incentives were the future.
“We are currently looking at different ideas for our own reward scheme that will go live soon; we fully believe in the concept,” he said. “It is something that has to happen and is clearly the way forward. It will reward healthy behaviour with incentives that will further encourage a healthy lifestyle.”