The fragmented nature of the healthcare systems in the United Arab Emirates remains despite the implementation of health reforms in the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The two major emirates are currently at different stages in the development and implementation of reform with the gap between them in terms of access to healthcare and pharmaceuticals widening, with Abu Dhabi leading the way.
Healthcare reforms in the UAE have aimed to improve the accessibility and quality of healthcare services available to residents while reducing the burden of public financing of healthcare. Since 2009, a number of reforms have been proposed and implemented, while others have been postponed in light of the recent global economic downturn.
In Abu Dhabi, since the passing of the Health Insurance Bill in 2005, most residents are now covered by health insurance, with this being justified by increasing encounters between physicians and patients. The HAAD has also implemented a number of cost saving strategies, a screening program for nationals, and an eHealth platform.
In Dubai, the timelines for the proposed health insurance reforms have been postponed. For expatriates, especially those on very low wages (such as labourers), the postponement will mean that access to healthcare will remain patchy, since they will have to pay out-of-pocket for treatment, or depend on the goodwill of their employers.