All UAE nationals are eligible for free health insurance that will cover their expenses at both public and private healthcare centres across the country and emergency treatment abroad, the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD) announced yesterday. The new health insurance scheme would include mandatory periodic medical examination - Weqaya - and a comprehensive health insurance scheme - Thiqa. It would be executed by HAAD and the National Health Insurance Company (Daman) in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha), Dr Ahmed Al Mazroui, chairman of HAAD, said at a Press conference here yesterday. According to the new scheme, all nationals must visit Seha's primary healthcare facilities to undergo free periodic medical examinations by qualified nurses before registering for a health insurance card called 'Thiqa card', which would officially come into effect from June 1. The nationals will not have to bear the cost of the medical examination and the Thiqa card. They could register to obtain their card at any time, said Dr Al Mazroui. He added that the medical examination consists of measuring height, weight, blood pressure, and tests for blood sugar, cholesterol and other chronic diseases. All nationals are eligible for the health insurance cards regardless of their medical conditionAl Mazroui added that Seha has already started performing the medical examinations on some UAE nationals at its healthcare facilities before the issuance of the Thiqa card. So far, 80,000 people have applied to the programme, which is expected to be the sole health insurance provider for all nationals by the end of the year. "The main advantage of the new insurance scheme is that it will give nationals more options, as they are no longer restricted to receiving free treatment at public healthcare facilities only, but can also go to the private hospitals," said Dr Al Mazroui.Courtesy Khaleej Times