Venezuela Health Insurance
Venezuela, which is officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country of approximately 29 million people located on the Northern coast of South America. Venezuela shares it borders with Guyana, Brazil and Colombia. Its territory includes numerous islands and covers approximately 916,445 square kilometres.
The terrain of Venezuela varies dramatically from the Andes Mountains, to the Amazon rainforest, tropical grassland plains, the Caribbean coast and the Orinoco river delta. Venezuela is also home to the world’s highest waterfall, the Angel Falls. In 1498 when Christopher Columbus sailed into Venezuela it said he had reached heaven on Earth. He named the country “Land of Grace”, a nickname which still remains in use today. Venezuela is simply unique.
Venezuela was a Spanish colony until it gained independence in 1821. Its territory is divided into 23 states. Its capital city is Caracas which is the largest of all of the Venezuelan cities. The majority of the population live in urban areas in the North. The official language is Spanish. The weather in Venezuela is subtropical and varies due to the different types of terrain. The country is broken into four horizontal temperature zones which range from tropical to polar. The dry season is the best time to visit, from November to May. The wet season runs for the remainder of the year.
Venezuela has a suffered a great amount of turmoil in its past including dictatorships in the 19th and 20th centuries, an economic crisis in the 1980s and 1990s which lead to a political crisis, hundreds of deaths during the Caracazo riots and two attempted coups. Despite its past, Venezuelans are known for their fun loving spirit and easy going nature.
The country’s primary exports were coffee and cocoa until the discovery of oil in the early 20th century during World War I. Venezuela is now one of the world’s leading exporters of oil, making up 80 percent of its total exports and 50 percent of Government revenue. The country also produces steel, aluminium, gold and natural gas.
Venezuela is home to many different species of animals, birds and plant life, including Orinoco crocodiles, Amazon dolphins, jaguar and over 25,000 species of orchids. The country also has the longest stretch of Caribbean coastline and offers plenty of choice for adventurous travellers including, trekking, snorkelling, scuba diving, kite surfing, windsurfing and paragliding.
Venezuela Health Care and Insurance
Venezuela has a national healthcare system that is free of charge as well as a private healthcare service. The right to healthcare is guaranteed by way of the Venezuelan Constitution which was ratified in 1999. Healthcare in Venezuela is viewed as a basic human right, no one is turned away at the point of service and no one is denied care.
The Ministry of Health and Social Development is responsible for healthcare in the country and has created “Mision Barrio Adentro”, a state funded program to expand access to free healthcare in Venezuela. In the recent past, this initiative resulted in Venezuela’s healthcare system being one of the most advanced in Latin America. Venezuela has a trade pact with Cuba to bring medications, medical technology and Doctors from Cuba to Venezuela, free of charge in exchange for low cost oil.
The doctor exchange program with Cuba has helped Venezuela to construct medical clinics within neighbourhoods where many locals had never seen a Doctor before. The communities where the clinics are located create committees who assess the specific health needs of the community by visiting households. The Doctors also live in the community and make house calls. Trainee Doctors are also placed within the clinic system to learn from the Doctors there.
Unfortunately the public medical facilities in Venezuela have fewer resources and often lack necessary equipment compared with the private medical facilities within the country. Recently the public medical system has been crumbling in Venezuela while the private facilities flourish. It was reported that between 2006 and 2008, 2,000 Doctors left the public health sector in Venezuela due to concerns over investment and the standard of services available. In 2011 the Venezuelan Government reduced spending on healthcare by 1 percent; this reduction in spending is having a significant negative effect on the Venezuelan population. Venezuela was once known for having outstanding public medical facilities but sadly they are now taking a step backwards in the wrong direction. Health insurance is a must for visitors to Venezuela.
The medical facilities in the capital city Caracas are much better than those found in rural areas of Venezuela and some are on par with US medical facilities. Even though the public medical facilities are also free to travellers, due to the lack of adequate facilities most travellers choose to go to private medical facilities if the need arises.
Travellers will need to produce a large amount of cash or a credit card in order to be admitted to a private hospital or medical clinic. Even for emergencies the cost of treatment in Venezuela can be very expensive. Therefore we recommend that travellers take out health insurance for Venezuela before travelling there.
Both the private and public hospitals provide ambulance services. The private ambulance service will cost a traveller a lot to use. Ambulances are located at Police and National Guard checkpoints across Venezuela and can be called from hospitals or by dialling 171. Travellers who have a life threatening medical problem or emergency may need to be evacuated to a nearby country with better medical facilities. Medical air evacuation is very expensive and therefore travellers should take out medical insurance for Venezuela to cover the cost if the need arises.
Pharmacies in Venezuela are open during the day and are recognisable by a red light in the window. Some pharmacies displaying the term ‘turno’ are also open during the evening and on public holidays. The pharmacies have a roster so that a pharmacy is always available 24 hours a day. For minor illnesses, pharmacies offer free advice and stock many medications that travellers can purchase without needing a prescription. Pharmacies stock many brands of medications, often at a cheaper price than in a traveller’s home country.
If you require medical assistance in Venezuela you could visit the public Hospital de Clinicas Caracas (telephone: 0212 508 6111) in the capital city. This is a full service hospital with 180 beds. The hospital has the facilities to provide surgery, cardiology, a blood bank, modern robotic equipment for microsurgeries, an ICU, x rays, CT scans and MRIs.
If you prefer to have medical treatment at a more advanced private medical facility you could go to Centro Medico de Caraacas (telephone: 0212 555 9111), also in the capital city. This hospital is equipped for surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics, gynaecology, a blood bank and has a 24 hour emergency department which offers immediate attention for patients.
Venezuela Travel Advice
No vaccinations are mandatory for travellers to enter Venezuela, unless they are arriving from an infected country. Many diseases can be avoided, when travelling in Venezuela travellers are advised to only drink bottled water. It is recommended that travellers ensure that they are vaccinated against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, yellow fever (for people travelling beyond the capital city of Caracus) and tetanus before travelling to Venezuela. Visitors should ensure that their childhood vaccinations are up to date and take anti malarial tablets before travelling to prevent them contracting malaria from mosquito bites.
Travellers should also take precautions to ensure that they do not contract brucellosis (from cattle, it can be contracted by direct contact or from consuming unpasteurised dairy products), cholera, dengue fever, HIV/Aids, measles, rabies (for travellers spending a lot of time outdoors especially in rural areas), schistosomiasis (from contaminated fresh water), tick borne relapsing fever and Venezuelan equine encephalitis (transmitted by mosquitoes). Travellers should ensure that they have medical insurance for Venezuela in case they do fall ill during their visit.
Before swimming, travellers should ask if a beach is safe to swim in before doing so as some beaches are contaminated. The sun is also extremely strong in Venezuela so travellers should take precautions to ensure that they don’t get burnt or sun stroke.
Corruption, including political corruption, is high in Venezuela. The country was listed as 164 out of 178 countries on the Corruption Perceptions Index in 2010. The homicide rate in Venezuela is also extremely high; the rate in Caracas (the capital city) is the 2nd greatest homicide rate of any large city in the world. In response to public concern, the Government has created a special security force which has helped reduce the crime rates in Venezuela.
Travellers should take great care to protect themselves and their belongings while travelling in Venezuela, especially in the capital city Caracas. Visitors should take care on the streets of Caracas, particularly at night. Thieves in Venezuela will often work in pairs to distract travellers while taking their pack bag, camera, watch or wallet. Travellers should leave money and valuables in their accommodation and keep a bundle of small notes on them in case of armed robbery.
Venezuela Expat Health Insurance
If you choose to travel or relocate to Venezuela we recommend that you take out a comprehensive Venezuela expat insurance policy for. Even though the public medical facilities will be available for you to use, the facilities and standard of care is well below what is offered by the private medical facilities in Venezeula. Expat health insurance or comprehensive travel health insurance can ensure that you and your family will be entitled to receive the best healthcare in Venezuela and won’t need to worry about the large cost. At Global Health Insurance our team of professionals can assist you with selecting an insurer that meets your needs. Please contact us today for a range of quotations from some of the world’s top insurance providers.
Recent Questions / Comments:
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| Hi, My mom will be coming from north africa to visit me in the USA and stay for acouple of weeks. Recently she has been having a heavy hand and legs feeling. She has been prescribed a medication that is usualy prescribed for patients with mild parkinson's. I would like to get some second opinion and test(scans) performed on her in the USA. I don't think that she has parkinson's and I would like to confirn this in a center/hospital that I trust. My mom has an inssurance coverage with mutuelle Maroc,which is a partner with SwissLife and AXA. I wonder if she can get an international coverage with your company that will covers specialist evaluation, MRI, and oether scans if necessary. Thank you | |
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| Hi, We (Doanldson Europe BVBA in Belgium) are looking for a hosptal & medical insurance for one of our families (family van den Enden) we are relocating to Brockville, Canada. Up till now we haven't found an insurance compay willing to cover the pre-existing condition of Mrs. van den Enden which is bronchial asthma. Would you be able to offer us a solution with an insurance who is willing to cover also the pre-existing condition. Thanks in advance for your reply, Veerle Matthijs | |
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| do you have any insurance plan for Ivf treatment? Like if the first attempt is not successful then is there any plan to cover the next attempt? | |
