Debate over mandatory insurance takes centre stage at Arab Health

The two-day conference, part of the Arab Health 2007 congress at the Dubai International Exhibitions Centre, will focus on the move towards mandatory employee insurance introduced in Abu Dhabi and its potential effects on the rest of the country and the region.

Sultan Al Sayed Al Dhaheri, head of the Reimbursement and Claims Section for the General Authority for Health Services in Abu Dhabi, will open the conference tomorrow. Other GAHS speakers include Afra Khalifa Shaheen, Special Coordinator for Health Insurance Regulations. The Abu Dhabi government took the revolutionary step in an attempt to provide mandatory, affordable healthcare for all residents.
Over the next two days, speakers from Bahrain, Canada, Lebanon and Germany will also share their experiences of healthcare insurance and national protection schemes with their counterparts from the UAE.

The Healthcare Insurance conference is one of 16 scheduled for Arab Health 2007, and accredited by the American Academy of Continuing Medical Education.

The Arab Health medical congress and exhibition is recognized as the largest and most important events in the global healthcare calendar, and is expected to draw 4,500 delegates, 30,000 visitors and 2,200 exhibiting companies.