Worst Places to Get Sick as an Expat without the Correct Travel Insurance

October 11, 2024 • Travel Tips • Views: 428

We all know that travel insurance is a bit of a necessity when we head abroad. Without it, costly medical expenses can soon follow, and that holiday that costs enough as it is, is suddenly costing lots more and doesn’t have the memories you thought it would.

Now what if you are an expat? You’ve moved abroad for a new life in a new country, adventures await, and new experiences are just around the corner. You’ve got your insurance sorted, your house is ready, the adventure starts here! 

Or does it? Experiencing new flavours, sights, sounds and neighbourhoods can be exhilarating until something goes wrong. Falling ill in a new country, for example, can be a scary experience and if you happen to be that unfortunate, it can be confusing and expensive too! First things first, did you opt for the appropriate coverage for your expat travel insurance? If not, strap in, this could be a slow road to recovery!

We’ve picked out the worst places to get sick as an expat when you don’t have the right insurance. Whether it is excessively expensive or has poor quality healthcare, you’ll find it here.

Which countries should you avoid getting sick in?

Unfortunately, some countries have poor healthcare systems or are more susceptible to certain types of illness being prevalent. With a lack of trained staff, inadequate facilities, and disease potentially rife, it can be easy to fall ill and struggle to find sufficient help. 

These countries below are ones where an inadequate insurance policy could see you spending significantly on getting the appropriate care.

EL Salvador

According to recent rankings, El Salvador has the worst Health Index Score in the world. With an 18.6 on the index, it certainly isn’t the best place for an expat to fall sick. Death rates are among the highest in Central America and the rate for preventable causes is 46% higher than the regional average. Healthcare is unfortunately an underfunded sector in El Salvador which sees a lack of supplies, trained staff and facilities made available. This underfunding sees it also have one of the worst scores for availability and cost of medicine too.

Honduras

Using the same index, we see that Honduras fares almost as badly as El Salvador. With high levels of poverty throughout the country and poor leadership within its government, access to decent healthcare is extremely limited. Not only are the services provided inadequate, but there aren’t enough sufficiently trained medical professionals available to help. The latest data shows that the rate of preventable deaths was 381.2 per 100,000 people, 68% higher than the average for the area.

Indonesia

Areas in this part of the world are often popular with expats and are commonly assumed to have excellent facilities. South Korea and Japan for example, according to OECD data have the most hospitals and hospital beds per person in the world. Indonesia on the other hand struggles.  The same data source shows us that currently there are just 1.04 hospital beds available per 1,000 people.

With a lack of hospitals, a lack of doctors and nurses, and lack of equipment, it makes illness in Indonesia much more of a challenge to overcome. Public hospitals tend to be overcrowded, and Expats don’t get to benefit from government-funded healthcare. So, unless you have a comprehensive travel insurance policy, you could struggle. In fact, in many cases, if you are relocating to Indonesia, it will be asked that you obtain insurance before a visa is even granted.

USA

Taking a slightly different look at things, we add the USA to our list. Whilst the United States boasts some incredible facilities, and excellent medical professionals and spends vast sums on research & development, it can cost a pretty penny to get yourself well. A simple consultation can set you back $200 and a surgery such as an appendectomy could see you spend over $30,000. Compare this to the free, or low-cost options you find elsewhere in the world, and you could soon see that living in the USA requires the correct travel insurance to help you avoid such high costs.

Switzerland

Still looking at things from a cost perspective, Switzerland is a country you won’t want to fall ill in. Like the USA, it has excellent facilities and ranks in the top 20 countries in the world on the Health Care Index, but it comes at a cost. As a non-resident, a simple consultation could set you back close to £200 which then rises every five minutes after 20 minutes. It is actually mandated that you have insurance when in Switzerland whether you are a native or an expat, so you can claim back a vast majority of expenses, it’s just the initial costs are incredibly high. Also, not everything is covered by the basic coverage that is offered nationwide. So, should you find yourself falling ill or requiring specific treatments, it could prove even more expensive with no option to claim the costs back. As an example, a two-day hospital stay for acute bronchitis could cost around 4,500 Swiss Francs, and a nine-day stay for Coronary bypass surgery could set you back 42,000 Swiss Francs. 

Failing to secure appropriate travel insurance could cause you to face expensive bills or endure extremely poor-quality service. With a comprehensive policy, you can get the best private healthcare in the country where you are staying or be medically evacuated should the required treatments not be available locally. 

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