UAE health insurers must cover care tied to organ and tissue removal and transplantation, including complications diagnosed years later, under a rule that also covers donors, Gulf News reported Nov. 15.
The requirement applies to both organ recipients and donors, whether the donor is living or deceased. Insurers must pay for covered services under every health plan in the country, the outlet said. Gulf News reported that the measure is intended to ease future medical costs for patients and families and help them continue treatment.
Coverage spans the treatment process, from medical examinations and preparation before surgery to organ removal, transplantation and follow-up care after discharge. It also covers care for complications tied to either procedure, even if they develop or are diagnosed long after surgery, Gulf News reported.
The outlet cited immune rejection as an example of a complication that may develop years after surgery. Under the reported terms, a late diagnosis does not by itself end coverage for treatment. The requirement applies to complications linked to procedures involving donors as well as to transplants received by patients.
The insurance obligation is part of a wider UAE legal framework. Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2023 established rules for human organ and tissue donation and transplantation and criminalized organ trafficking, Gulf News reported. Cabinet Resolution No. 61 of 2026 set executive regulations and gave insurers six months to prepare for the coverage requirement.
Gulf News said the regulations appeared in the UAE’s Official Gazette on April 30, 2026, and the coverage requirement under Article 9 took effect Oct. 31. The CBUAE circular applies the obligation across health insurance schemes in the country, according to the report.
