• Individual plans
• Family plans
• Group plans
• Travel plans
• Teacher plans

Guyana Expat Health Insurance

Situated in the Caribbean tropics facing the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Suriname to the east, Brazil to the south, and Venezuela to the west, Guyana is a small country with a population of only about 770,000. As evidence of its 135 year stint as a British Colony, it is the only country in South America to use English as its national language. Guyana boasts a huge array of natural habitats in several geographic regions, many of which are virtually untouched by mankind; the is considered by some experts to hold some of the most pristine and undisturbed jungles and rain forests on Earth. For this reason, it is a worthwhile pilgrimage for researchers and wildlife enthusiasts, as Guyana is home to many rare and endangered species of plants and animals, often in surprisingly large numbers, and some that are not yet documented by science.

With such a low human population to stimulate it, the economic situation of Guyana is only slowly improving along with most other aspects of life in this developing nation. However, analysts are hopeful that due to reasonable efforts on the part of the government, along with decent resources and a stable economy boosted by private investment and foreign aid, Guyana can follow in the footsteps of countries like its neighbor, Brazil, and make great strides forward in standards of living in a fairly short period of time. Efforts are already under way for improvements in infrastructure, education, and health care.

Guyana Health Care and Medical Insurance

According to the World Health Organization's Country Cooperation Strategy at a glance report, The Guyanese Government is putting a lot of effort and capital into the success of the National Health Sector Strategy 2008-2012 initiative to overhaul and improve the delivery of health care services. The per capita government health care budget is higher than average for developing nations of the area, and special attention is being placed on ensuring expanded availability to all. Vaccination programs are in place to reduce the risk of communicable diseases and attention is being given to improving child health. Two areas of major concern are that Guyana has the highest occurrence of suicide and HIV/AIDS of any country in South America.

Public health care is administered through a very decentralized, five step tiered system. All non-critical conditions require initial treatment at one of 166 Local Health Posts located throughout the populated regions of the country. Referral, if needed, can then be made to one of the 109 Health Centres with more skilled care available, usually a nurse or medical extension worker. Next, patients enter the third tier, one of the nineteen district hospitals which are equipped to perform some surgeries, birthing, routine testing and basic diagnostic imagining. Should the condition require it, a referral can be made to the nearest of four Regional Hospitals which have a more broad scope of services and can handle many critical care patients. The National Referral Hospital in Georgetown comprises the top tier and is equipped with over 930 beds to handle the most dire of medical situations. The best care in the country is available in this facility, but as mentioned, it is a stepped system and patients, unless in needed of emergency care, are not allowed to show up and receive treatment of their free will. The system, while accused of being cumbersome and somewhat labor intensive by some (though most doctors frequently skip their patients up a few levels when necessary), is reasonably effective and weeds out a lot of unnecessary demand on the most specialized facilities so that they can maintain attention on the patients in the greatest need and places basic care closer to the patient, therefore easier to access.

Private medical treatment is available through a total of ten hospitals offering services with a combined total of approximately 550 beds and a large network of private health centers spread along the populated coastline. Private medical treatment has a major advantage in Guyana, and while it is often more limited in services offered, it is not restrained by the tiered referrals required to see a specialist and the sometimes long wait times that are associated with it. Because non-residents do not qualify for subsidized care under the Guyana health insurance program, all of their care will require the full burden of cost be bore by the patient whether administered through public or private outlets. For this reason, many choose the more convenient and quicker services offered by private facilities and practitioners.

Visitors from developed countries should bear in mind that while the health care system in Guyana is better than average for developing countries, it will not be up to the standards of their homeland as many highly specialized treatments or procedures are not yet available and some critical conditions will require patient transport via air ambulance or passenger jet to Venezuela, Brazil, Cuba, Trinidad or Tobago, or the foreigner's country of residence for treatment. Further, a lot of ultra-modern and expensive equipment is not yet in use in Guyana, though an MRI is now operational with a tie-in link to the USA for interpretative assistance at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, though interpretation sometimes takes up to four days.

Guyana Medical Insurance Concerns

The Guyana National Insurance Scheme provides the basis for a compulsory Guyana health insurance system that mandates all employed persons, whether public, private, or self-employed, have medical coverage against illness and most injuries. All workers pay into the national fund and then treatment is provided through the public health care sector to all enrolled. Payment is remitted by the patient at the point of care and later a large percentage is reimbursed by the government, with the remaining portion of the fee serving as co-pay by the patient. Private insurance is available as well, which can be used to offset the cost of co-payment or to assist in finance of treatment from private facilities.

The National Guyana medical Insurance Scheme is not available for buy-in by non-residents and some choose to purchase private Guyana medical insurance policies since the cost of private medical treatments in the country can be very high, and air transport, if required, can be financially devastating when payment is made out of pocket by the average expatriate, traveler, or tourist. For this reason, many countries' travel advisory boards recommend a comprehensive Guyana medical insurance package be considered, in some cases including air ambulance service, for all visitors prior to departure for Guyana.

Guyana Travel Advice

Located wholly within the tropics and with relatively low elevations throughout, the weather in Guyana is typically hot and humid. Temperature does not fluctuate greatly throughout the year, but is rather marked by two rainy seasons, from November to January and May to August. Travelers should take this into consideration as heat exhaustion can be a potential problem for some who are unaccustomed to the warm climate. As a developing country with a large portion of the land sparsely inhabited, travel outside the cities and away from the coast can be difficult, and of the approximately 5,000 miles of roadway in Guyana, less than ten percent are paved. River travel is common, as is light aircraft, but both are not always reliable and can sometimes be dangerous depending on weather conditions.

Public services are becoming more reliable and currently about 70 percent of the population has access to improved water sources, though all water should be boiled, chemically treated, or filtered prior to drinking and sanitation levels are still quite poor in most areas, particularly outside the city-centers with less than 20 percent having flushing toilets. As a result of these and other factors, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that travelers to Guyana receive vaccination against malaria, typhoid, hepatitis A and B, rabies, and yellow fever along with all routine childhood preventable disease vaccinations and adult booster shots. Finally, violent crime, robberies, and murders are not uncommon, and petty theft and muggings are common in many areas that foreigners frequent, particularly in the cities. All travelers are advised to be diligent with regards to their personal safety when out in public, especially after dark or when alone.

Guyana Expat Health Insurance

Guyana is a unique and largely unspoiled land, with much to see and offer. It would be a shame for anyone's trip to be ruined by an unexpected trip to hospital due to serious illness or accident, worse still to be caught unprotected and denied treatment due to lack of access to funds or be left with large medical bills in Guyana. Expat health insurance we offer can cover you in the most serious of medical emergencies, including coverage for any emergency medical transportation to quality medical facilities. Global Health Insurance has Guyana expat health insurance packages as well as International Health Insurance policies that will provided the peace of mind you need when traveling far away from home. Regardless of your planned destination, length of stay, budget, or travel group size, Global Health Insurance will work to find the right coverage to suit your needs.