Abu Dhabi DOH and Aetna Share Important Changes to International Patient Care Procedures
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(Clockwise from top left): Mohamed Al Hosani, Division Director Healthcare Budgeting & Financial Performance, Department of Health – Abu Dhabi; Saif Aljaibeji, Vice President Strategic Partnerships in Middle East, Aetna; Danny Sebright, President, U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council; and Noam Baruch, Head of Passport to Healthcare, Aetna

The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council hosted a virtual conversation with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH) and Aetna International on Monday, September 15th, 2025 as part of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s healthcare and life sciences working group. Mohamed Al Hosani, Division Director Healthcare Budgeting & Financial Performance for the DOH joined Noam Baruch, Head of Passport to Healthcare and Saif Aljaibeji, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships in Middle East from Aetna to discuss the upcoming changes to international patient care following the DOH’s appointment of Aetna as a third-party administrator to manage aspects of the international patient care process.

Mohamed Al Hosani, Division Director Healthcare Budgeting & Financial Performance for the DOH, emphasized that the DOH’s partnership with Aetna as a third-party administrator for international patient care (IPC) is intended to streamline the DOH’s engagement with U.S. healthcare providers and enhance patient care and experience.

  • As of July 30, 2025, Aetna was appointed as a third-party administrator for U.S. IPC and aims to streamline processes with U.S. providers and improve coordination. 
  • The partnership will only apply to patients referred by the DOH and aims to enhance patient experience by expanding the DOH’s U.S. network and increase access to specialized services.
  • The DOH views long-standing U.S. provider relationships as strategic partnerships that go beyond international patient care and they are committed to maintaining these partnerships.
  • Clinical approvals, case oversight, non-medical services/logistics, and Emirati patient engagement will remain under the purview of the International Patient Care Center (IPCC) of the DOH.


Noam Baruch, Head of Passport to Healthcare and Saif Aljaibeji, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships in the Middle East from Aetna discussed the transition and changes to IPC as Aetna assumes their role as a third-party administrator to support value-based healthcare, transparency, and savings.
 

  • Aetna will help streamline medical claims, accelerate reimbursements, reduce administrative burdens, and expand access to U.S. centers of excellence while preserving the DOH’s clinical oversight and all patient logistics. They will pass on negotiated discounts to the DOH as well as enable it to focus on case management.
  • Aetna will bring a U.S.-based infrastructure, broad national provider network, direct hospital/physician/pharmacy relationships, and CVS Caremark capabilities.
  • For hospitals that previously bundled multiple non-hospital vendors, and carried risk, Aetna will contract vendors directly (or stand up direct relationships), reducing provider financial risk and administrative workload.
  • The transition period will be done through a phased rollout following a proof-of-concept and pilot, with clear splits between medical (Aetna) and non-medical/logistics (DOH/IPCC) responsibilities.

Panelists from the DOH and Aetna also fielded questions from webinar attendees  relating to the timeline of transition, impact on providers, verification of benefits (VOB) coverage, appeals and denials, and mitigation of challenges.
 

  • Legacy cases will continue under current processes while the program rolls out in waves. Waves will be decided and prioritized by active DOH referrals and city-level logistics.
  • Existing providers will keep serving patients and should expect minor administrative changes as Aetna comes online.
  • The DOH and Aetna have already met with around 40% of U.S. healthcare providers partnered with the DOH, and they will continue to meet with U.S. healthcare providers throughout the rollout phase.
  • There are opportunities for new providers to build relationships with the DOH.
  • This change will be invisible to Emirati patients, who will still work entirely with the IPCC.

Representatives from the DOH and Aetna agreed to have additional meetings with healthcare providers in the future should more clarity be required. Moreover, they provided their contact details for companies to individually engage with them:   

For more information about the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s programming and this event, please contact Adam Karadsheh at akaradsheh@usuaebusiness.org.