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Bupa Global and Sukoon Insurance Plans for Expats in Dubai

Bupa Global partners with Sukoon Insurance (formerly Oman Insurance Company) to offer four international health insurance plans tailored for expats in Dubai. These plans include Select, Premier, Elite, and Ultimate and are designed to meet different coverage needs and budgets, all while complying with DHA requirements. 

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Each plan provides access to a global network of healthcare providers and includes options for medical treatment in both the UAE and abroad. Whether you want essential regional health coverage or unlimited global benefits, Bupa and Sukoon offer customizable choices for individuals and families.

Bupa and Sukoon Health Insurance Partnership

Image of Panoramic Cityscape With River Running Through Dubai Marina with text overlay of "Bupa and Sukoon Health Insurance Partnership"

Bupa Global is partnered with Sukoon Insurance (Oman Insurance Company P.S.C.) to provide quality health insurance plans for expats and their families in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. Clients of Sukoon are free to select the plan that fits their coverage needs and budget.

All plans sold through Sukoon Insurance meet the DHA’s requirements for Dubai residents.

For residents of Dubai, all plans offered by Sukoon Insurance are compliant with DHA standards. The plans offered by Sukoon Insurance (Bupa) include: 

  • Select: The plan with the lowest maximum benefits for budget-conscious expats who plan to stay within the UAE most of the time. The default option for this plan only includes regional coverage.
  • Premier: This plan offers a higher benefit cap than the Select Plan. Worldwide coverage, excluding the USA, is available.
  • Elite: This plan has a higher benefit limit than Select or Premier and includes coverage for in-home nursing and complementary therapies.
  • Ultimate: This is the most comprehensive and extensive coverage with no annual limit. This coverage includes everything covered by other plans, as well as genetic cancer screenings.

All four plans offered through Sukoon Insurance (Bupa) in Dubai include coverage for the following medical services within their respective benefit limits:

  • Accommodation
  • Operating room, medicines, and surgical dressings
  • Cancer treatment
  • Mental health
  • Rehabilitation
  • Medical evacuation
  • Diagnostic tests
  • Outpatient prescribed drugs
  • Health screening
  • Physiotherapy, osteopathy, and more
  • Optical and dental
  • Maternity coverage
  • Medical repatriation
  • Home nursing
  • Vaccinations
  • Complementary therapies
  • Genetic cancer screening

Bupa offers customizable plans so that you are only paying for the coverage you need and want. You can opt into coverage for dental, optical, and periodic health assessments.

Once you purchase a plan through Bupa Global, you’ll also be able to manage your healthcare online by submitting and tracking claims, applying for second medical opinions, and getting insurance approval for treatments.

Clients can get help from Bupa’s multilingual advisers in a language that is understandable to them. The company will also speak to your medical provider in their preferred language.

These plans have common exclusions, including but not limited to:

  • Treatment for sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, snoring, and insomnia
  • Experimental treatments
  • Unrecognized medical facilities or practitioners 
  • Family planning, including contraception, infertility, and discussing becoming pregnant
  • Injuries related to criminal acts or drug or alcohol abuse
  • Vaccines needed for travel

Sukoon Select Plan: Affordable UAE-Only Coverage

The Select Plan through Sukoon Insurance (Bupa Global) offers regional medical insurance coverage in Dubai and the rest of the United Arab Emirates. For an additional cost, expats can choose the Select Plan and opt for worldwide coverage, excluding the United States.

The annual benefit limit for the Select Plan is £1,000,000 (approximately AED 6,239,000). We’ll show the annual limit in other common currencies used by expats in Dubai.

 

Annual Benefit Limit of Sukoon Insurance Select Plan by Currency
GBP AED USD EUR
£1,000,000 6,239,000 $1,700,000 €1,250,000

 

Here’s a brief view of the maximum benefits for specific types of treatment with the Select Plan:

  • Up to 15 physiotherapy sessions, including osteopathy, chiropractors, and physiotherapists per plan year
  • USD $1,700 per policy year for prescribed medications
  • USD $680 per policy year for homeopathy or ayurvedic care
  • USD $420 per policy year for preventative care

Sukoon Premier Plan: Enhanced Coverage Worldwide

Sukoon’s Premier Plan in the UAE offers similar benefits to the Select plan with higher limits for specific benefits. The maximum annual benefit limit is the same as the Select plan: USD $1,700,000 per policy year.

The annual benefit limit for Sukoon Insurance’s Premier Plan is £1,000,000 (approximately AED 6,239,000). This table shows the annual limit in other common currencies used by expats in the UAE.

 

Annual Benefit Limit of Sukoon Insurance Premier Plan by Currency
GBP AED USD EUR
£1,000,000 6,239,000 $1,700,000 €1,250,000

 

Here’s a brief view of the maximum benefits for specific types of treatment with the Premier Plan:

  • Up to 30 physiotherapy sessions including osteopathy, chiropractors, and physiotherapists per plan year
  • USD $8,000 per policy year for prescribed medications
  • USD $680 per policy year for homeopathy or ayurvedic care
  • USD $850 per policy year for preventative care

Sukoon Elite Plan: Higher Limits and Family Perks

Sukoon Insurance’s Elite Plan for expats in Dubai is a fantastic deal for young families. It has a higher annual benefit limit than Select or Premier, and up to two children under age 10 per insured parent can be covered at no additional cost

The annual benefit limit of the Elite Plan through Oman Insurance Company P.S.C. (Sukoon) is £3,000,000 (AED 18,717,000). The following table will convert that annual benefit limit to currencies commonly used by expats in Dubai.

 

Annual Benefit Limit of Sukoon Insurance Elite Plan by Currency
GBP AED USD EUR
£3,000,000 18,717,000 $5,100,000 €3,750,000

 

Here’s a brief view of the maximum benefits for specific types of treatment with the Elite Plan:

  • Up to 60 physiotherapy sessions including osteopathy, chiropractors, and physiotherapists per plan year
  • Prescribed medications paid in full
  • USD $1,360 per policy year for homeopathy or ayurvedic care
  • USD $1,700 per policy year for preventative care

Sukoon Ultimate Plan: Unlimited Global Coverage

Sukoon Insurance’s Ultimate Plan in the UAE offers the most medical benefits without an annual limit. This plan also offers the best deal for expat families to have extensive health insurance coverage. Two children under the age of 16 per covered parent are covered at no extra cost

That means up to four children can be covered in a two-parent family without paying any extra premiums for the children! (Please note that this offer is subject to underwriting.)

 

Annual Benefit Limit of Sukoon Insurance Ultimate Plan by Currency
GBP AED USD EUR
Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited

 

Here’s a brief view of the maximum benefits for specific types of treatment with the Ultimate Plan:

  • Physiotherapy sessions including osteopathy, chiropractors, and physiotherapists are fully covered
  • Prescribed medications paid in full
  • Homeopathy, Chinese medicine, naturopathy, or ayurvedic care is paid in full
  • USD $8,500 per policy year for preventative care

How Bupa and Sukoon Split UAE and Global Billing

For medical treatment inside the UAE, Sukoon will pre-authorize and process billing matters. Outside of the UAE, Bupa Global will handle pre-authorizations and billing. To find in-network providers for Sukoon and Bupa, click here.

Direct billing is available with Bupa’s in-network providers in Dubai and worldwide. Direct billing means that the hospital, clinic, or healthcare provider sends the medical bill directly to the insurance company, and the insurance company can pay them directly.

Without direct billing, you may have to pay the medical expenses yourself and file a claim for reimbursement. 

You can see any recognized medical practitioner to receive medical care for covered medical services. However, only expenses deemed customary and reasonable will be covered. Your safest bet will be to find in-network providers in the UAE.

Why Use a Broker to Buy Bupa Insurance in Dubai

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Expats in Dubai have the choice to purchase health insurance policies directly from a chosen insurance company or through an insurance broker. Purchasing the policy through the broker has value-added benefits that don’t cost the expat a single cent.

Insurance brokers don’t cost money because they partner with multiple insurance companies to offer insurance products to potential customers. The insurance companies pay the broker for their services, not the customer. 

However, brokers serve the customer because they do not represent any single insurance company! This means insurance brokers offer impartial advice to keep their customers happy.

Why Pacific Prime Is Ideal for Dubai Expats

Pacific Prime is the best insurance broker for expats and their families in Dubai because they have experience in the insurance industry, maintain local offices in Dubai, and have a dedicated claims team to help clients file claims with their chosen insurance company.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Bupa provide international insurance?

Bupa Global offers international health insurance plans with global medical coverage options. Bupa is one of the most popular global insurance options for expats and digital nomads.

Does Bupa provide medical coverage in the United States?

Bupa Global offers private international health insurance options with global coverage, including the United States. If you need coverage in the USA, compare insurance quotes carefully to ensure you’re selecting a plan with coverage for the US.

Can Americans use their health insurance abroad?

Health insurance for the United States typically does not cover US residents abroad. For international medical coverage, Americans need to purchase travel insurance with medical coverage for trips or international health insurance for longer stays abroad.

Conclusion

Health insurance is required for residents in Dubai, so expats have to find the best insurance company for their needs. Expats should consider a plan through Bupa Global, which has partnered with Oman Insurance Company (Sukoon) in the UAE.

Sukoon Insurance sells Select, Premier, Elite, and Ultimate Plans with options for dental and optical coverage. These plans are customizable depending on your family’s budget and needs.

Are you looking for health insurance coverage? Pacific Prime is the best insurance broker for expats and their families in Dubai because they have experience in the insurance industry, maintain local offices in Dubai, and have a dedicated claims team to help clients file claims.

Contact us for consultation or a non-obligatory quote

Head of Content at Pacific Prime
Serena Fung is the Head of Content at Pacific Prime, a global insurance brokerage and employee specialist serving over 1.5 million clients in 15 offices across the world. With 6+ years of experience writing about the subject, she aims to demystify the world of insurance for readers with the latest updates, guides and articles on the blog.

Serena earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, Canada. As such, she is an avid advocate of mental health and is fascinated by all things psychology (especially if it’s cognitive psychology!).

Her previous work experience includes teaching toddlers to read, writing for a travel/wellness online magazine, and then a business news blog. These combined experiences give her the skills and insights she needs to explain complex ideas in a succinct way. Being the daughter of an immigrant and a traveler herself, she is passionate about educating expats and digital nomads on travel and international health insurance.
Serena Fung