The Dominican Republic has one of the most advanced healthcare systems in the Caribbean. Here we provide a comprehensive breakdown of this system, and how you can ensure you are properly covered for every eventuality.
The Dominican Republic’s health care system is three-tiered. At the bottom, the poorest in society are guaranteed access to free, socialised care.
The reality however, is that most still end up paying out-of-pocket expenditures for medical supplies and various services. This can be explained by the fact that the government only devotes around 1% of GDP to health care, resulting in over half of all health expenses being funded by the people themselves.
Those who earn less than RD $4,000 per month are also covered automatically. This cover, however, only extends to the worker and not their family; though it does include maternity care for a spouse.
Those who do not fall into either of these categories must pay their own medical fees. You may work for a company which provides an iguala, which means medical cover at a private, local clinic at no additional cost. There are limitations however - if your clinic does not have the specialist you require, you’ll be forced to visit another clinic where you aren’t covered, thus incurring the costs yourself. In many cases it makes sense to opt for an international health insurance .