Insurance: what gets reimbursed and what never will
The general rule across UAE health insurance: home nursing is covered when it is medically necessary, prescribed by a treating doctor, and pre-authorised by the insurer — most commonly as post-hospitalisation care for a defined number of days. Comprehensive plans often include such a benefit; basic and essential-benefit plans usually do not, or cap it tightly. Nationals may have additional home-care provisions under government schemes such as Thiqa in Abu Dhabi, which follow their own approval routes.
Process protects you more than policy wording does. Get pre-authorisation in writing before care starts, confirm whether the provider bills the insurer directly or you pay and claim, and keep the prescription, the care notes and itemised invoices. Retroactive claims for care that was never pre-approved are the most commonly rejected home-care claims in the UAE, and the rejection arrives after the money is spent.