United Arab Emirates
Daman National Health Insurance
Abu Dhabi's National Health Insurance Company. Issues Basic and Enhanced plans required for Abu Dhabi residence visas, plus the Thiqa programme for UAE nationals.
Overview
Daman (damanhealth.ae) is the National Health Insurance Company of Abu Dhabi, the largest health insurer in the UAE and the administrator of the Thiqa programme for UAE nationals in Abu Dhabi. Daman issues the Basic insurance product mandated for low-income Abu Dhabi visa-holders, the Enhanced corporate plans required for higher-salary expats, and a wide range of individual and family plans sold through brokers and online direct. Daman's network is the broadest in the UAE: most SEHA hospitals, most major Abu Dhabi private hospitals (Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Burjeel, Mediclinic, NMC), and a wide outpatient network across all seven emirates.
Two policy categories matter for expats. Basic is the AED 600/year (approximate, confirm at quote) bottom-tier policy that satisfies the Abu Dhabi requirement that every visa-holder have valid insurance. Enhanced is the salaried-employee plan that most employers contribute to, with annual limits, dental and maternity riders, and out-of-network coverage. Daman's portal lets the policyholder view the policy, see the network, file claims, request pre-authorisation, and download e-cards. For nationals, the Thiqa programme has its own portal with broader benefits.
Three things matter operationally. First, the policy is held against the Emirates ID, so any pharmacy, clinic, or hospital scanning the ID instantly sees the coverage status. Second, pre-authorisation is required for any non-emergency inpatient procedure and many high-cost outpatient ones; failing to get pre-auth in time produces a denied claim. Third, the Abu Dhabi residence visa renewal cannot proceed without an active insurance policy registered against the Emirates ID; the system pulls the data live from the insurer. Confirm specific premium and coverage limits on damanhealth.ae before assuming any quote.
Services offered
- Basic health insurance for Abu Dhabi visas
- Enhanced corporate plans
- Thiqa programme (nationals)
- Claim submission and pre-authorisation
How to access
1. Register on damanhealth.ae
Visit damanhealth.ae or open the Daman app. Choose Register and enter your Emirates ID number, member ID (printed on the policy welcome letter), and a UAE mobile in your name. Complete OTP verification.
2. Link policies to your account
On first login, the system pulls every policy held against your Emirates ID. Add family-member policies through the Add Dependant flow using their Emirates ID numbers.
3. View the digital card
Open the Cards section to see the digital insurance card. Save the image or download the PDF; most Abu Dhabi clinics now accept the digital card as primary proof of coverage.
4. Use pre-authorisation correctly
When the doctor recommends a planned procedure, the clinic or hospital sends a pre-auth request to Daman through their provider portal. Confirm with the provider that the request is in and approved before the procedure happens; an unauthorised procedure usually leads to a denied claim.
5. Submit out-of-network claims within the window
Out-of-network claims are submitted online through the portal with the invoice, doctor's report, prescription and proof of payment. Most plans require submission within 60 days of the service date; older claims are usually rejected.
FAQs
Not necessarily Daman specifically, but you do need a valid health insurance policy registered against your Emirates ID for any Abu Dhabi-issued residence visa. Daman is the largest provider and is commonly chosen because of its broad network, but any DOH-licensed insurer (AXA, Bupa, NextCare, Allianz, MetLife) works. Confirm coverage and registration status on the insurer's portal.
The Basic plan satisfies the minimum legal requirement. The annual premium is in the AED 600-1,000 range (confirm at quote, varies by age and health declarations). The network is restricted to lower-tier clinics and SEHA hospitals, and annual limits are conservative, but the plan is sufficient for visa compliance.
Thiqa is the programme for UAE nationals registered in Abu Dhabi, administered by Daman on behalf of the Department of Health. It offers full-cover health insurance with a very broad network including international referrals, with no annual limit, and no co-payment for most services. Basic is for expats and is much more constrained.
In-network: the clinic or hospital files directly with Daman, you pay any co-payment at the desk, and the claim settles automatically. Out-of-network: pay the full amount yourself, then submit the claim online through damanhealth.ae with the invoice, doctor's report, prescription and proof of payment. Reimbursement is typically processed within 15-30 days.
Usually yes if the policy includes family riders, which most Enhanced corporate plans do. Confirm by adding dependants on the portal during the policy year; some employers cover only the employee and require the family to be added separately at the employee's cost.
In-network providers have a contractual rate with Daman, so the cost is settled directly and the patient pays only any co-payment specified in the policy. Out-of-network means you pay the provider in full and seek reimbursement, typically at a lower percentage of the bill (commonly 80% or 50%) up to the annual limit.
Depends on the plan. Basic has limited maternity benefits. Enhanced plans usually include a maternity rider with sub-limits for delivery, pre-natal, and post-natal care, and a waiting period (often 9-12 months) from the policy start. Confirm the maternity benefit on the policy schedule.
Open damanhealth.ae > Find a Provider, filter by city and specialty, and the system returns the in-network providers. The Daman app has the same lookup. Network status can change, so confirm at the moment of booking, not at policy purchase.
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