10 Expats Talk about Healthcare and Health Insurance in Belize

Expats in Belize offer insight into the quality of healthcare in Belize, proximity to hospitals, cost of health insurance and more.

What advice do you have for expats having a baby in Belize?

We asked expat moms who gave birth in Belize about their experiences and advice they have for other moms to be. They said:

"(following what other expats have done) I would suggest my friend go back to her mother country for the last month until after delivery. Simply because the infant cannot receive citizen status," commented an expat living in Placencia, Belize.

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What are medical services in Belize like?

When we asked expats and global nomads about the quality of medical care in Belize, they replied:

"Since we are in the U.S. for some of the year, we have had no difficulty keeping our healthcare up-to-date. We subsist primarily on Medicare," commented an expat living in Hopkins Village, Belize.

"We have not needed medical care so far, but it is available locally. We hear that the care is very good," said another expat in Hopkins Village.

"Yes..Belize city has the three best hospitals in the country. For simple things they are very good and cheap compared with the US,, but for cancer that sort of thing people go to the states. You can get private medical insurance as a member of the caricom , which in our case includes treatment elsewhere, if it is not available here in Belize. People who don't have medical insurance, use Guatemala city, Merida Mexico, or panama for medical procedures. For members of the public, using public health centers and hospitals the waits can be very long and the care, patchy. I would not suggest people come here with terminal illnesses, as belizes not equipped to deal with that," remarked another in Belize City.

"Our first choice is to go to the local pharmacist, who is very knowledgeable and helpful," commented an expat living in Hopkins Village, Belize.

"Word of mouth is a great way to find a doctor if you need one. Our pharmacist has a neurogist that comes to her place of business twice a month from Belize City. He is a wealth of information. Also, be willing to travel to Belize City or Chetumal Mexico to see specialists. We are very pleased with the care we have received thus far. Most of our prescriptions cost us less or equal to our copay in the US without having the cost of a monthly premium on top of that. We are going to look into getting an international health insurance just in case one of us has an emergency that can not be handled here or in Mexico," said another expat in Corozal/Belize City.

What do you think about the cost of medical care in Belize?

"In the US I have Medicare and a supplemental insurance, which is fine and I have had no problems with coverage. In Belize, I do not purchase medical insurance because it is very expensive. ," commented an expat living in Hopkins Village, Belize.

What are emergency services like?

When we asked about emergency services, members in Belize wrote:

"Dangriga, about 40 minutes away by car, has a public hospital, Southern Regional Hospital. About 2.5 hours away is Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City," commented an expat living in Hopkins Village, Belize.

"La Loma Luz - Santa Elena. I am not aware of the emergency services. Quality of care is adequate, but my last experience was 12 years ago! Private hospital," said another expat in San Ignacio.

"We have not had to avail services from anywhere but private doctors. There is a small hospital in Corozal but we do not know much about it. We live outside of town in a more rural area but we have been told that there are ambulances. There are several private clinics in town," remarked another expat in Corozal/Belize City.

Are their specialists in the area or do you need to travel to see a specialist?

"It depends upon how serious. I would prefer to have surgeries done in the US. Initially, however, I would go to Dangriga or Belize City for help," commented an expat living in Hopkins Village, Belize.

"We went to Belize City to see a cardiologist. We were extremely pleased with the quality of care we received. Complete bloodwork and EKG's and ultrasounds were done all on site and the doctor spent over an hour with us going over all of the results. This is better care than what we received in the US. Also, we were able to get a appointment within less than a week. The cost for everything for both me and my husband was equal to what I paid for one month's premium of my health insurance back in the states. That insurance would have also cost me copays on the tests themselves," said another expat in Corozal/Belize City.

Are most prescription medications available in Belize?

"In checking with the Pharmacist in Hopkins, I found he could get all my prescription meds. It might take a couple of days, but he assured me he could get them. Additionally, he let me purchase a prescription medication for a rash I got at the beginning of rainy season," commented an expat living in Hopkins Village, Belize.

"Yes, common prescriptions are available at our local pharmacy. They are inexpensive and you often do not need a prescription. Anything prescribed by the local doctor is available locally. If you had an unusual illness of needed a particular medication, it would be wise to bring additional supplies, but once here you can speak to the pharmacist and likely they can arrange to bring it in for you," said another expat in San Ignacio.

"We have gotten almost all of our medicines from the states here and have not needed a prescription for even one. A lot of them cost less than what we were paying with some being the same as our copay with our insurance back in the US. There was one of my husbands we could not find but the cardiologist we saw determined he noonger needed to take it. If they don't have the exact same drug, they have one that is compatible. Again, we have been very pleased. There are several pharmacies but we have found Evergreen to be the one we like best. Also, you can get prescriptions in Mexico with no problem as well," remarked another expat in Corozal/Belize City.

"Hospital are in Dangriga, Belmopan and Belize City. There are 4 Private Hospitals that offer excellent services. In Placencia there are 2 doctors - Public and Private. There are 2 different Ambulance Services in the area and both offer excellent service. Quality of care in the Private Hospitals is very good. Public is so so," commented an expat living in Placencia, Belize.