How it works

The Basmah initiative is designed for Dubai’s 3.1 million non-Emirati residents, who make up about 90% of the population. Private health insurance is mandatory for all expatriate residents, and about half – blue-collar workers, such as construction workers and domestic helpers – are on a basic benefit plan. But with a coverage cap of Dh150,000 (about US$41,000), the basic plan has historically left those residents unable to fund cancer treatment.

Basmah changes that. It is funded through a small levy of Dh19 (about US$5) on wealthier residents’ health policies, gathered by insurers at the point of renewal and pooled in a trust account. When a lower-income patient is diagnosed with cancer, their treatment costs are initially paid by their insurer up to the basic coverage cap. “And then we pay the rest,” says Farghaly. “Without limitation.”

Better access to innovative treatments and support

Basmah’s coverage even extends to new, innovative treatments. In late 2021, for the first time, patients were referred for genomic testing to identify candidates for targeted therapies.

“This is a very advanced way of treating cancers,” says Farghaly. So the initiative paves the way for Dubai to offer its lower-income residents access to emerging immuno-therapies as increasingly effective treatments become available.

Patients are also offered a broad spectrum of support throughout their cancer journey, such as help communicating with their insurers, home visits, and assistance in navigating their care. “We plan everything – their visits, their doses, their whole treatment journey.”

Partnership fosters prevention and progress

For Dubai’s policymakers, Basmah is not just increasing access to cancer care – it is also encouraging a more proactive approach to detection and treatment. “The insurance system used to be reactive,” says Farghaly. “With Basmah, we are creating a new model. We’re introducing prevention to the insurance market, and the insurers are doing it with us.”

Farghaly believes that partnership between the authorities and private business has been essential to Basmah’s success to date. “Our approach is based on collaboration between the pharmaceutical firms, the payers and the regulator,” he says. “It’s a real model for public-private partnership.”

Basmah will be officially reviewed in 2023. But work is already under way to expand its coverage to lung cancer in the near future, and Farghaly is confident that this approach to topping up private healthcare insurance could help to expand access to cancer care elsewhere in the world.