Emirates Insurance: Companies and medical service providers collaborate to ensure clarity of why they are used

The inclusion of "supplements and vitamins" in insurance is conditional on being "essential" in treatment

The patient bears the cost of supplements and vitamins if they are not necessary in treatment. Cinematographer: Najeeb Mohammed

The Chairman of the Health Insurance Committee at the Emirates Insurance Association, Abdul Mohsen Jaber, stressed that the commitment of insurance companies to cover nutritional supplements, vitamins and minerals is linked to being an essential and indispensable part in the treatment of medical conditions, and otherwise the patient bears its cost.

He added in response to inquiries received by «Emirates Today» in this regard: «The basic treatment in some diseases and cases, dietary supplement, such as cases of (anemia), or the need to take vitamins and minerals as is the case in pregnancy and childbirth for women, and here supplements and vitamins become a treatment that cannot be replaced, or not taken, therefore, covered by insurance companies and approved directly».

"In mild cases where these drugs are complementary and side-by, rather than essential, the companies do not cover them, and the patient bears the full cost."

Jaber explained: «The origin of supplements and vitamins is that they are excluded and not covered by insurance companies, but due to their importance in treatment in some cases, it is permissible to fully cover them or a percentage of the price, according to the terms of the policy and the benefits included in it».

He continued: «The reference of cases in which this type of treatment is covered, although it is originally excluded, is that there is a risk of not taking it, whether for the health of the mother or fetus for women, or for patients with osteoporosis, for example, such as the presence of iron deficiency by a large percentage, and other cases that pose a risk to public health, and here companies must agree to insurance coverage».

He added: «There are many medical conditions that require taking supplements, whether for children or adults, and there is great cooperation between insurance companies, hospitals and medical service providers, to ensure clarity of the reason for their use, as a basic treatment that cannot be dispensed with, or just a complementary addition that there will be no harm from not taking them, or leaving the choice to the patient himself, to buy them at his own expense or leave them».

Insurance companies do not cover dietary supplements in mild cases.