Group medical renewal checklist: 10 questions to ask before you sign
Renewal terms usually arrive late, with a higher premium and little explanation. These are the ten questions I work through with HR and finance teams so the decision is based on data, not deadline pressure.
By Shamna Ponnath Valappil, Senior Insurance Officer · Updated 26 September 2026Before renewing a UAE group medical policy, check that every employee is compliant for their visa-issuing emirate, understand what drove the loss ratio, clean up the census, confirm the network fits where staff live, and review which benefits are actually used. Then look at co-pay levels, chronic-condition continuity, dependant rules and the joiner/leaver process, and test the market with at least two or three insurers on the same specification. Start 60–90 days before renewal.
The 10 questions
1. Is every employee compliant for their visa-issuing emirate?
Cover must meet the rules of the emirate that issued each visa: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or the federal scheme for Sharjah and the Northern Emirates. Mixed-visa workforces are where gaps hide. See rules by emirate.
2. What is our loss ratio, and what actually drove it?
Ask the insurer for claims information (anonymised) by category, inpatient vs outpatient, and large claims. One maternity or surgical case is a very different story from steady outpatient overuse, and should be negotiated differently.
3. Is the census accurate?
Remove leavers, add joiners, and check dates of birth, categories and visa emirates. Insurers price the census you send them, and errors cost money in both directions.
4. Does the network fit where staff live and work?
A cheaper network is a false saving if employees travel across the city for treatment or pay out of pocket. Check the hospitals and clinics employees actually use.
5. Which benefits are used, and which are just paid for?
Look at dental, optical, maternity and physiotherapy usage. Rebalancing little-used benefits towards what staff value can hold the premium without cutting core cover.
6. Are co-pay and deductible levels balanced?
A modest outpatient co-pay often reduces overuse and premium more than cutting benefits does, but set it too high and staff delay care.
7. How are chronic and pre-existing conditions handled?
If you change insurer, confirm how existing conditions will be covered so employees in treatment keep continuity of care.
8. Are dependants covered correctly, and who pays?
Check the company policy, the legal position (Abu Dhabi includes the employee's family), and whether employees pay the difference for upgrades.
9. How do mid-year additions and deletions work?
Agree the pro-rata basis, the notice period and who submits changes, so new joiners are never uninsured and leavers aren't paid for.
10. Have we tested the market on the same specification?
Compare at least two or three insurers quoting identical benefits, so the comparison is like-for-like. Sometimes the current insurer is still the best option, but you'll know why.
Renewal timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 90–60 days before | Request claims information, update the census, list pain points from staff |
| 60–45 days | Agree the specification and go to market |
| 30 days | Compare quotes, negotiate with the preferred insurers, decide |
| 14 days | Submit enrolment data, then issue cards and a short member guide |
Want this done for you?
Email your census, current table of benefits and any claims information to Sales@insurewithshamna.com. I'll review them and come back with a like-for-like comparison across insurers on the Gargash Insurance Services panel, with a clear recommendation.
Frequently asked questions
When should we start our group medical renewal?
60–90 days before the renewal date. That leaves time to get claims information, go to market and negotiate, rather than accepting the renewal terms as they are.
Why did our group medical premium go up so much?
Usually a combination of a high loss ratio (claims compared with premium), medical inflation and census changes such as an older average age. The claims detail shows which of these matters most and how to respond.
Can we reduce the premium without cutting core cover?
Often, yes: by adjusting network tiers, introducing or rebalancing outpatient co-pay, restructuring categories, or shifting little-used benefits. Market testing on the same specification also shows whether the current price is competitive.
10+ years in insurance, six internationally and four in the UAE market. Shamna compares personal and business cover across insurers for clients in all seven Emirates. More about Shamna
Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. General information only, not advice; policy terms decide cover.
Get your group medical renewal reviewed and compared.
60-second request · Free & no obligation · All 7 Emirates
Shamna Ponnath Valappil is a Senior Insurance Officer with Gargash Insurance Services LLC, a UAE insurance broker regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE. Insurance arranged through this site is placed by Gargash Insurance Services LLC. Quotes are subject to underwriting by the relevant insurer(s); final terms, premiums and cover are confirmed when a policy is issued.