19 October 2015, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – The National Health Insurance Company Daman has begun distributing 2,000 Emirates ID card readers to medical facilities, which allows members to use their Emirates ID card to identify themselves as insured members at participating hospitals.
The move will support the government’s efforts in transitioning towards smart services and to improve Daman and Thiqa cardholders’ accessibility to medical facilities.
The Emirates Identity Authority has provided Daman with card readers which allow members to access healthcare services in addition to their regular insurance card.
His Excellency Dr. Saeed Abdullah Al Ghafli, Director General of the Emirates Identity Authority, said that the authority is committed to making more card readers readily available when required. The distribution plan is set with the aim of developing an advanced ID management system in the country, and to support the government’s approach towards smart governance, enhancing the UAE’s global competitiveness.
HE Dr. Al Ghafli also stressed the importance of the card readers in strengthening the operational efficiency of public and private institutions and better facilitating daily services. The card reader is equipped to scan the cards within seconds, thus saving time. It also provides the benefit of using advanced digital and electronic applications in the card.
HE Dr. Al Ghafli pointed out that the authority’s goal is to make the EID card the most valued identification document for all citizens. The EID is expected to facilitate all aspects of civic life, in line with reaching the second goal of its 2014-2016 strategy, in widening the scope of EID usage.
“Adopting the Emirates ID as an alternative for insurance cards is a major step towards simplifying the process of accessing medical services,” said Dr. Michael Bitzer, Chief Executive Officer at Daman. “We value Emirates Identity Authority’s efforts and support; through which we are able to show our commitment towards providing great value to members as well as enhancing the level of health insurance services overall.”
Daman is currently piloting the service at key medical facilities, and is aiming to launch the service in all facilities early next year.
The new card readers will scan a policy holder’s details and send it to Daman’s secure servers, which will then identify the member’s eligibility and show the medical facility the member’s schedule of benefits. The system is browser-based and does not require any special software for installation by the medical facility.
Daman continues to collect Emirates Identification numbers of its members, in line with the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi’s initiative of using Emirates ID as the main personal identifier for all health insurance members in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
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