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

Nicaragua Expat Health Insurance

Flanked to the north by Honduras, the east by the Caribbean Sea, the south by Costa Rica, and the Pacific Ocean to the west, Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America. Boasting lush tropical rain forest, active volcanoes, and some pristine beaches, researchers, backpackers, eco-tourists, and adventure travelers have made the sojourn to experience its natural attractions for decades. Since the 1990's, when the government stabilized and infrastructure of this developing nation began to improve, tourism has become the largest industry in the country. About the same time, retirees and expatriates began to relocate to Nicaragua to take advantage of their foreign income's buying power and its beautiful natural surroundings, some living there year round, others part-time. This injection of cash is much appreciated by the almost 6 million residents, as Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, with 80 percent of the population surviving on less than US$2.00 per day.

Nicaragua’s Healthcare System and Insurance

Overseen by the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health (MINSA), the national health system's credo is to provide free and equal health care to all its citizens regardless of social or economic status. Perhaps though, a more apt way to tell the story of Nicaragua's health care situation is poverty. Low wages for residents, poor funding for and by the government, and under funded health care facilities all result in a public health care system that is, by most accounts, largely held as a disorganized, unstructured, and corrupt mess without the tax revenue or governmental sponsorship to provide even the most basic care for the majority of subjects. Adding to the problem of lack of sufficient care is that the culture of low wages bleeds over even into health care, with Nicaragua's doctors being some of the lowest paid in the world. With surrounding counties' wages often four to five times higher, the trend for doctors to leave Nicaragua in search of higher pay has further negatively affected the health care system.

With a lack of continuity in government support, a result of the regular turnovers in ruling parties every few years as new groups enter power and vow reform of varying aspects of Nicaraguan life, little headway has been made in setting out clear goals and implementing methods to achieve them with the aim of increasing the standard of living and health in Nicaragua. One method that was tried was privation of most of the countries hospitals and clinics. The intent was to increase quality of care while alleviating the government of the burden of operation, and while both of these goals were achieved, it came at much higher costs for treatment which is not covered by a universal health care initiative. Thus the number of people actually able to access health care has dropped due to economics. Because of severe poverty, many rely on foriegn aid groups and volunteer medical staff to provide for their basic needs, often in the form of small clinics and more recently from traveling mobile clinics and visiting practitioners. Rural areas are the most under served, the central mountain districts and the Caribbean coastal areas being the least cared for. The best and most accessible care is located in and around the capitol city of Managua. Most experts agree that a large injection of cash into the health care system would allay some of the problems, the questions are: where to get it from, and who's hands to put it in?

It is not to say that medical care and treatment is not available in Nicaragua, it is just not available to everyone as the laws put into print mandates. Particularly in the private market in most larger towns and cities, the health care available from the private clinics and hospitals is considered acceptable, though the facilities are not always up to the same standards as more developed counties. Additionally some equipment may not be utilizing the latest technology, but for some expatriates and travelers, especially from the United States where health care is extremely expensive, Nicaragua's private medical care facilities are an excellent alternative to their home country. As a result, there is a blossoming medical tourism industry in Nicaragua. While not a comprehensive list, some of the treatments offered include dental, laboratory testing, imaging, surgery, laser vision correction, maternity and birthing, diagnostics, internal medicine, and emergency care. Some more advanced procedures are not offered or are just coming to the market and thus physicians are still gaining experience, as a result treatments such as open-heart surgery, neural surgery, nuclear medicine, and other experimental procedures are not yet common.

Nicaragua Medical Insurance Information

As was mentioned above, under state mandates, a universal health care package is available to all. The reality is, however quite different. Currently no state program provides Nicaraguan health insurance to all of its population. According to a case study by the health care assessment group PATH, as of February 2011 only about 70 percent are covered to any extent by a government health care plan. Many instead go without coverage and only go to hospital in the direst of circumstances, when their condition is at its worst, thus putting even more strain on the public health facilities. Children and the elderly are almost all left without insurance, due to insufficient funding for the government to provide coverage.

For the wealthy in Nicaragua, medical insurance is not difficult to come by. There are numerous private health insurance providers both domestically and internationally who offer coverage usable in Nicaragua. For the highest paid government and private industry workers as well, they often are covered under the Nicaraguan Social Security Institute's government funded insurance program. These two groups receiving full medical coverage make up only about 10 percent of the population. It is strongly advised that anyone visiting Nicaragua consider purchase of a Nicaraguan expat health insurance policy for the duration of their stay in order to guarantee sufficient and acceptable care while in the country. Most packages are accepted at the superior private facilities and air ambulance and evacuation or repatriation services are also a good idea in the event that a situation arises which cannot be dealt with domestically. The fee for this type of service if paid out of pocket can be astronomical if no coverage is available at the time of need.

Nicaragua Travel Advice

Travelers and tourists visiting Nicaragua should be aware that political conditions are now stable and pose no major threat of violent outbursts. Care should still be taken however as petty crime is very common, additionally travelers should be very cautious when accepting gifts from strangers, especially food or drink as some have been unwittingly drugged and then robbed. The water throughout Nicaragua is not considered safe for drinking without first being boiled, filtered, or chemically treated. Ice should be avoided. Sanitation levels are not comparable to more developed countries and open sewers and untreated wastes are frequently in close proximity to humans. As a result, typhoid is common. Malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, diarrhea, and hepatitis A and B. Skin and intestinal parasites are common also. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that all travelers visiting or relocating to Nicaragua ensure that all routine vaccinations are up to date before departure from your home country and additionally recommends vaccine against malaria, typhoid, rabies, and hepatitis A and B.

Nicaragua Expat Health Insurance

Traveling abroad is meant to be an enjoyable experience, all that is needed is proper preparation. Whether visiting or permanently relocating to Nicaragua, Global Health Insurance has expert Insurance Advisors who can, free of charge, assist you in making the best choice for the Nicaragua Expat Medical Insurance you need. Plans are available for vacationers, international volunteers, work-abroad employees, expatriates, students, and retirees. No matter your intended stay, planned itinerary, or budget, Global Health Insurance will find the expat health insurance coverage that best suits your needs.