What Caribbean Countries Have the Best Healthcare for Expats?

One key consideration in choosing where to live in the Caribbean is the quality and accessibility of the healthcare there. We have put together some recommendations on the best healthcare systems and medical care in the Caribbean for global citizens and expats.

Overview & Why Expats Choose the Caribbean:

Over the years, many people have moved to the Caribbean for retirement, work, or simply taking on the digital nomad lifestyle. The region has a lot to offer expats, such as fantastic beaches, climate, low taxes, relaxed lifestyle and a close proximity to the United States and Canada.

By far, the Caribbean is a key destination for a lot of Americans and Canadians, as well as French, Dutch, and UK citizens, especially with the historic connections to the region.

Importance of Choosing a Caribbean Country with Quality Medical Care:

Everyone knows that your health is your most important asset. Maintaining your health through exercise, eating right, social contact, and mindfulness are vital when you are at home but more than often an afterthought when you live abroad. You also have to think about how to maintain your health via the local health system in the Caribbean country you are choosing to live in. A key consideration for which country you live in is whether the healthcare system can treat you should you fall sick or become injured.

Not all healthcare systems in the Caribbean are equal and can vary widely from one island to another, even within the countries. This is why you need to do some research on the local healthcare facilities, access to medical care and much more before you choose which Caribbean country to reside in. Your health and well-being depend on that choice.

Healthcare Evacuation Criteria for Caribbean Healthcare:

Evaluating healthcare in the Caribbean requires some research and forethought, given the region’s diversity in healthcare infrastructure, which is often dependent on the local culture, socioeconomic status, education system, and geography. Key criteria for assessing healthcare systems include accessibility, quality of care, efficiency, equity, and health outcomes. Accessibility refers to the ease with which individuals can obtain necessary medical services, considering factors like geographical location, affordability, and availability of healthcare providers and facilities.

Criteria for Expat Healthcare in the Caribbean Region:

• Accessibility of Care:

  Can you obtain healthcare easily, and what are the waiting periods, for example?

• Quality of Care:

  Quality of medical services, healthcare system efficiency, and accessibility. This goes for just about any location you are expatriating to.

• Efficiency:

  Expats need to consider just how effective and efficient healthcare is on their Caribbean island.

• Health Outcomes:

  Another question for foreigners living in the region is whether the health outcomes of their doctors and hospitals are superior or substandard.

• Facilities:

  What are the medical facilities and capabilities for medical clinics and hospitals in the country you are moving to? Are the hospitals clean, and do they have the equipment necessary to treat you?

• Staff Competence:

  Just how competent and well-trained are the doctors and nurses in that country?

• Access to Complicated Care:

  Will the facilities be able to tackle complex procedures and treatment, especially in the event of a severe illness such as cancer? Will you need to be medically evacuated to the United States?

• Ease of Evacuation:

  If that island doesn’t have the ability to treat you locally, will you be able to quickly evacuate to a center of medical excellence, such as a hospital in Miami.

• Public or Private Care:

  Will you be eligible or want to access public health insurance and care, or will you have the insurance necessary to cover access to more efficient and speedy private health facilities?

• Access to Health Insurance:

  Foreigners in the Caribbean must consider how they will pay for medical services if they fall ill or get injured when on the island, as well as when travelling or back home. Access to local or global healthcare for expats in the Caribbean is a key consideration in the Caribbean.

In many Caribbean nations, efficient access to high-quality medical care is possible, but it really varies by island. Care will be vastly better close to or in the local city centers. For highly complicated conditions, you may more than likely have to seek treatment in the USA, Canada, or maybe Panama.

Equity, or fairness in the distribution of healthcare in the Caribbean, will differ across different populations, and public healthcare will be substandard when compared to private medical care.

Top 3 Caribbean Healthcare Systems for Expatriates

Let’s explore which Caribbean nations can offer the best expat healthcare systems based on the factors noted above, such as healthcare infrastructure, accessibility, affordability, and global insurance options.

One: Bahamas

Over the years, we have discovered that the Bahamas offers a very good health system and outcomes that are a blend of both private and public care that is accessible by both locals and expatriates. Because the island is a popular tourist destination, it has attracted excellent medical professionals and is geared to serve them when they fall ill or are injured.

However, foreigners living in the Bahamas need to remember that this beautiful island country can’t match the healthcare options and capabilities that are offered in countries such as the United States and Canada.

Public System in the Bahamas

Bahamas has a public system funded through taxes and operates under the National Health Insurance (NHI) policy, which was put in place to meet the health needs of the local population. The scheme gives local citizens access to basic healthcare, general practitioners, maternity, emergency care, and more. It is available to locals and legally resident expats at little or no cost.

Public Care in Nassau

The biggest hospital in the country is the Princess Margaret Hospital, which is located in Nassau, which is the capital and biggest population center. As is often the case, the best healthcare options are located in major cities.

Outer Regions

There are public clinics and hospitals located throughout most of the islands in the Bahamas, but as you would expect, medical care may be very limited and serious conditions have to be treated in Nassau.

Public Care Deficiencies in the Bahamas

Public medical coverage and services in the Bahamas are affordable, but access to timely care, underfunding, overcrowding, and resource difficulties has led the public system to not be the best primary source of assistance when sick or injured in the Bahamas. This is why almost all expats and foreigners living there opt for private medical care and of course, global health coverage.

Private Health System in the Bahamas

Having visited the island many times over the years, the private healthcare system is very well-established, with excellent doctors, up-to-date facilities and a wide range of specialists who can assist expats with many different conditions. Like most countries, expatriates turn to private medical facilities because they can offer:

• Speeder care
• Limited wait lists if any
• Advanced and more modern facilities
• Better trained and paid doctors
• Cleaner and more hygienic facilities
• Superior service, support and follow up
• Modern equipment and advanced diagnostics

International Health Coverage for Living in the Bahamas

Note that private healthcare has many advantages, but it comes with a much higher cost, so it is critical that you buy global healthcare to cover you both in the Bahamas and globally. For any serious conditions, it is highly likely that you will want to seek treatment in the USA or Canada.

Two: Dominican Republic

We have noticed that a lot of expatriates from countries like the USA, Canada and the UK are moving to the Dominican Republic for the amazing climate, beaches and lifestyle. The Dominican Republic has a mix of private, social security and public health systems where quality of medical care can vary widely. Let’s dive deeper into the public and private system there:

Private Healthcare in the Dominican Republic for Expats

Foreigners living in the country will find that the private system there is very well developed, especially in the major cities and anywhere tourists are concentrated. Expats can expect to be able to visit private hospitals and clinics that have modern equipment and practices, shorter waiting periods, highly trained medical staff, and excellent service. Most private medical staff are accredited by Western healthcare systems, which should give you a high standard of care.

We have found that the most popular hospitals in the private sector for global citizens are the Hispiten Sando Domingo and Médico Punta Cana. Foreigners getting treatments there should expect English-speaking staff and a full range of quality medical care. Like most private systems, medical support comes with a much higher cost than the public system.

Public Medical Healthcare in the Dominican Republic

Most local nationals who can’t afford private healthcare will use the public health system in the Dominican. It is managed by the government and funded by taxes and social contributions. Medical care is low-cost or free for legal residents.

The public system may be affordable, but most expats won’t use it because they often find that it is:

• Crowded
• Lack English speaking staff
• Quality of care is not as high
• Longer waiting periods
• Shortages of staff, medicine and modern equipment

Private Healthcare Cover for Expats in the Dominican Republic

So if you live in the Dominican Republic, you should consider the private system your first choice and buy global health coverage to support any claims. You may be able to get a local health plan via the private system there, but it won’t cover you back home or outside the country, so most people prefer to become insured nomads via Expat Financial.

Three: Barbados

Barbados is yet another amazingly attractive island for future and current expatriates who not only want a mild climate and beautiful beaches but also low taxes via their offshore schemes. Many companies set up shop there and send expats, but they require their members to be insured. The same goes for wealthy expats looking to retire on the island.

There is a mix of private and public healthcare options for expatriates in Barbados, so we have put together a short summary.

Public Healthcare in Barbados

Most local nationals living on the island will be supported by the public health system as it offers low-cost services to public clinics, doctors and hospitals. The most obvious choice for hospital care in Barbados the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. You should expect longer waiting periods in the public system, but the quality is still quite good.

Private Medical Care in Barbados

The private healthcare system is primarily designed to service tourists and expatriates living in Barbados. You should expect a higher level of care, lower waiting periods and better-trained staff and service. The Bayview Hospital is popular with most global nomads in the island and also provides medical tourism.

Global Healthcare Solutions in Barbados

If you are an expatriate or planning to be one in Barbados, the government may insist on you securing an international medical plan to cover you. They don’t want foreigners to be a burden on the public system. It is advisable that you buy a plan that also covers medical evacuation and care in the United States, as any serious conditions might not be able to be treated locally in Barbados.

Honorable Mention: Cuba

Not many expats are moving to Cuba because of the lack of a business or expat-friendly government, but healthcare in Cuba is internationally renowned. Despite the terrible economic and political conditions in Cuba, they offer universal healthcare to its population, and the doctors and nurses there are first-rate. Note that there is a lack of private healthcare, and many expat insurers are unable to cover expats there because of the restrictions on sanctions.

Note that Cuba’s healthcare system is fully state-funded and controlled, so locals there have free healthcare. The Cuban government has put a lot of resources and money into healthcare. The country has one of the best doctor-to-patient ratios in the world. Note that doctors and staff are not paid that well, so this can impact care. Care for tourists and expats is not free, and they often want hard currency in USD or Euros. The primary hospital for foreigners is the Cira García Clinic in Havana. It is modern hospital with good standards of care for expats and locals alike.

Expats in Cuba need to buy a medical insurance policy that is valid in Cuba before entering the country and you have to give them proof of cover. They will try to get you to buy from a provider that has coverage agreements with Cuba, such as Asistur, which is a state-operated insurance company. But you can also supplement with a separate global health plan to cover you globally including Cuba.

Some Final Thoughts

The Caribbean gives expats some great private and public healthcare options with some good private medical facilities, staff and hospitals that are often, located in the urban cores. Because of the limited resources and remoteness of these tropical islands, global citizens living there should be prepared for limited healthcare options and plan accordingly.

There are also other islands other than the Bahamas, Barbados and the Dominican Republic that offer very good care, but it is vital that you secure yourself with a high-quality international health policy that not only covers you locally but regionally and globally as you may move from one island to another and that local plan you bought won’t be portable, but an offshore global medical plan via one of our insurance providers will be. Expats also often spend time back home where they have lost their medical coverage.

Securing Caribbean Expat Healthcare Policies

Those thinking of retiring in the Caribbean should consider buying a global health plan that will give them lifetime coverage regardless of their age. As noted above, getting the medical evacuation option is a must. Many expats consider forgoing outpatient care to keep costs low or securing a plan with a large deductible.

There are certainly a multitude of global policy options, so it makes sense to give us a call or send an email so we can discuss your Caribbean expat healthcare needs.

Written by David Tompkins, President of TFG Global Insurance Solutions Ltd.