Angola Health Insurance for Expats

International Health Insurance for Expats in Angola

For maximum peace of mind, expats in Angola are strongly urged to secure international health insurance. Beyond basic medical bill coverage, expats can add benefits like dental, maternity, and vision care on top of their plans and extend coverage to their families.

This guide by Pacific Prime will discuss health insurance in Angola, the country’s healthcare system, and general safety and well-being recommendations for expats.

Recommended International Health Insurance Plans for Expatriates Living in Angola

Allianz Care Health Insurance

• World-leading Health Insurance Provider for Expats
• Extensive Network With Over 1.9 Million Medical Providers
• Quick and Efficient Claims Process
• Maximum Plan benefit up to USD $5,000,000

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Cigna Global Insurance Plan

• Worldwide Coverage (excluding the US)
• Access to Cigna's trusted network of hospitals and doctors
• Numerous Deductible Options
• 24/7 Customer Support
• 4 Core Insurance Plans

Plan Details Get a Quote

The Healthcare System in Angola

Angola’s healthcare system encompasses both public and private healthcare, with the former being free of charge but at the cost of understaffed, underfunded facilities while the latter is preferred among expats due to greater but come at a much higher cost.

In the sections to follow, we will be discussing the public and private hospitals available in Angola for expats.

Public Hospitals in Angola

Angola’s public hospitals offer free treatment but its standards are low and its underfunded facilities are equally as understaffed, which could also lead to longer waiting times and delayed treatment. What’s more, most of the population also has extremely limited access to healthcare.

Below are some examples of public medical facilities available in Angola:

• Cajueiros General Hospital: This hospital features various areas of medical services such as external consultations, emergency services, inpatient services, and more. 
• Clinica Multiperfil: This public clinic in Angola features multiple areas of medical services such as adult emergency care, pediatrics, blood bank for transfusions, external consultations, and more. 

Due to the limitations mentioned earlier, expats tend to avoid public hospitals and clinics in Angola in favor of their private counterparts.

Private Hospitals in Angola

Private hospitals in Angola make up for many of the shortcomings of their previously mentioned public counterparts by offering a greater quality of care with better-trained staff and shorter waiting times, ensuring expats can access greater quality treatment in a timely manner.

However, one big limitation of private hospitals is the higher price point, which many expats may not be able to afford. Despite private hospitals being considered superior to their public counterparts, there aren’t enough facilities and expats will need to go overseas for treatment.

Additionally, depending on where you live in particular, private hospitals may or may not be accessible to you. Below are key examples of private hospitals in Angola:

• INTERNATIONAL SOS - Ilha Medical Center: This medical center provides family-centric care and emergency medical assistance as well as various other medical services such as child & adult vaccination, specialist service referrals, infectious disease care, and more. 
• Luanda Medical Center: This private medical center features various areas of medical specialties, including cardiology, general, family, and emergency medicine, different areas of pediatric care, urology, and many more. 

Health Insurance Options for Expats in Angola

When it comes to health insurance options for expats in Angola, private health insurance is the best option available due to the numerous shortcomings of public healthcare access such as problematic waiting times and understaffed, subpar facilities despite its promised free healthcare.

Below we will discuss private health insurance as a viable option for expats in Angola.

Private Health Insurance for Expats in Angola

Key benefits of private health insurance for expats in Angola include access to private healthcare facilities, which is generally preferred due to the country’s subpar public medical facilities by default, the option to add benefits of choice and more.

Listed below are notable benefits of carrying private health insurance for expats in Angola:

• Access to Private Medical Facilities: Private health insurance will allow expats to access private medical facilities, a generally preferred alternative to their public counterparts for expats, in Angola. Expats can freely choose specific doctors and facilities as they’d like.
• Multilingual Staff Access: Some public hospitals may lack multilingual medical staff, which would make it extremely difficult for expats to understand and communicate with doctors, which is where private hospitals shine in their excellently-trained, multilingual staff. 
• Shorter Waiting Times and Greater Quality Care: Additionally, private health insurance will also allow expats to freely choose specific hospitals with shorter waiting times and greater quality care, meaning they will be able to get the treatment they need in a timely manner. 
• Additional Benefits as Needed: If you need to, you can also add any additional benefits on top of your default plans to maximize coverage. These may include dental, maternity, and vision coverage, all of which you can also extend to your family for greater healthcare accessibility for everyone.

Because expats may need to travel abroad for further medical attention due to the subpar quality of public hospitals in Angola, coupled with some expats’ limited access to private facilities, international health insurance is strongly recommended.

If you live in a particular area in Angola where it’s common for public hospitals to be subpar in quality and you don’t have access to private hospitals, this is where the medical evacuation coverage comes in.

With medical evacuation covered under your international health insurance plan, you can rest assured that you will be able to access quality treatment overseas without straining your finances as transportation and treatment expenses will be completely covered.

Recommended International Health Insurance Providers for Expats in Angola

Notable international health insurance providers strongly recommended for expats in Angola include April International, Geoblue, and more. In the sections to follow, we will briefly discuss each insurance provider and give you a quick rundown of some of their shared features across plans.

April International 

April International’s health insurance plans are crafted for expats, granting hospitalization, outpatient services, maternity, as well as dental coverage. What’s more, they also have a 24/7 telemedicine service, user-friendly mobile claims and support, and a large direct billing network.

The health insurance plans from April International, along with their respective annual benefit limits are as follows:

• Emergency Plan (Annual benefit limit: €250,000)
• Formule Basic (Annual benefit limit: €500,000)
• Essential Plan (Annual benefit limit: €1,000,000)
• Comfort (Annual benefit limit: Unlimited)
• Premium Plan (Annual benefit limit: Unlimited)

The following are key examples of shared areas of coverage seen throughout April International’s health insurance plans:

• Inpatient treatment
• Outpatient treatment
• Emergency repatriation
• Emergency evacuation
• Maternity coverage
• Vision and dental coverage

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Geoblue

Geoblue’s Xplorer plan, consisting of the essential and premier types, is designed for expats traveling from the US for work, studying, or just leisure purposes.

Expats can also choose to include or exclude the United States from their worldwide coverage. Below are the common features seen throughout Geoblue’s different health insurance plans:

• Diagnostic lab work and X-rays
• Surgery
• Inpatient medical emergencies
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation
• Yearly physicals

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AXA

AXA Global’s health insurance plans grant various levels of customizable coverage, which can be broken down into hospitalization, outpatient treatments, emergency care,  and medical evacuation coverage. With its flexibility, AXA’s plans remain a favorite among expats.

Below are AXA’s health insurance plans, along with their respective annual limits:

• Foundation Plan (Annual Limit: $160,000)
• Standard Plan (Annual Limit: $1,600,000)
• Comprehensive Plan (Annual Limit: $2,400,000)
• Prestige Plan (Annual Limit: $3,200,000)
• Prestige Plus Plan (Annual Limit: $8,000,000)

The following are examples of shared areas coverage across all of AXA’s health insurance plans:

• Hospital charges and surgery
• Virtual doctor service
• Mind health service
• Emergency coverage
• Medical evacuation and repatriation
• Wide range of cancer treatment
• Ambulance transport
• CT, PET and MRI scans

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Cigna Global 

Cigna Global’s customizable, comprehensive health insurance plans grant expats maximum flexibility as well as convenient access to 24/7 customer service. Below are the different health insurance plans available from Cigna Global, along with their respective annual limits:

• Silver (Annual Limit: USD $1,000,000)
• Gold (Annual Limit: USD $2,000,000)
• Platinum (Annual Limit: Unlimited)

Common benefits shared throughout Cigna Global’s health insurance plans include the following:

• Hospitalization
• Inpatient and daypatient treatments
• Cancer treatments
• Physiotherapy
• Accidental death or total permanent disability compensation

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Factors to Consider When Securing Insurance in Angola

Expats looking to secure health insurance while in Angola should take their time to consider various factors such as foregoing biased price-based decisions in favor of benefits and plan comprehensiveness, as well as the country’s subpar public healthcare system and limited healthcare access.

The following are important factors expats should keep in mind when securing health insurance in Angola:

• Don’t Decide Based on Price: When deciding on a health insurance plan, remember not to decide solely based on the price point. While affordable, the cheapest plans won’t guarantee comprehensive coverage and leave you with odd gaps of uninsured areas where you’ll be subject to out-of-pocket payment. 
• Decide Based on Comprehensiveness: Instead, forego price-based decisions in favor of plan comprehensiveness by defining your healthcare priorities. You can select as many benefits as you need, such as dental, vision, or maternity coverage, all of which you can also extend to your family.
• Pre-Existing Conditions and Eligibility: Some insurers won’t cover pre-existing conditions while some will but with additional payment or a waiting period. Don’t hesitate to contact your selected insurer for specific eligibility details surrounding pre-existing conditions if you have any questions. 
• Limited and Problematic Healthcare access in Angola: Public hospitals in Angola are generally considered subpar in quality. While private hospitals are available and superior, they are much more expensive and may not be accessible to everyone. 

Health and Safety Tips for Expats in Angola

Expats in Angola should be on the lookout for mugging and robbery by making sure not to carry excessive valuables, sums of cash, or important documents. Additionally, routine and additional vaccinations are highly recommended as a preventative measure.

In the sections to follow, we will discuss general health and safety tips for expats in Angola.

Crime and Safety in Angola

There is a high risk of crime in Angola, such as mugging or robbery. Exercise caution when withdrawing money from the bank or using the ATM as you could be followed and robbed.

Avoid walking alone in the dark as this is when you can’t see muggers following you but they can see you and don’t carry large sums of money or wear excessive jewelry to not attract any potential robbers. Make sure you store your large sums of cash, valuables, and documents at home.

There is also a risk of carjacking, which would be even more dangerous if you leave your valuables and other belongings inside. Make sure, when parking, to not leave your belongings, including your car keys, inside and fully lock your vehicle.

Recommended Vaccines for Expats in Angola

According to the CDC, expats in Angola are strongly urged to get routine vaccinations for general immunization and additional vaccines for specific diseases as a preventative measure. Some examples of routine vaccinations expats should be up to date on include COVID-19, influenza, and more.

Below are the routine vaccines expats in Angola should be up to date on:

• Influenza
• COVID-19
• Chickenpox
• Polio
• Shingles
• TDAP (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis)
• MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)

Additionally, expats are also strongly advised to get additional vaccines for specific diseases such as Hepatitis A and B, Cholera, and more. Below are the other types of disease-specific vaccines expats in Angola are strongly urged to get:

• Hepatitis A & Hepatitis B
• Measles
• Cholera
• Rabies
• Yellow Fever
• Typhoid

For further recommendations on vaccine dosage or other well-being tips, click the link below to the CDC’s Angola wellbeing guide:

Angola - Traveler view | Travelers' Health | CDC

Emergency Numbers for Expats in Angola

If there is an emergency, there are various emergency numbers available for expats to reach out to relevant emergency services and authorities as listed below:

• Ambulance: 112
• Police: 110
• Fire Department: 118

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the healthcare system in Angola like?

Angola’s healthcare system encompasses public and private healthcare. Public healthcare is offered for free but at the cost of subpar quality and its facilities are understaffed. Meanwhile, private healthcare offers greater quality care but at a higher cost, and not everyone can access it.

Is Angola safe?

In Angola, there is a high risk of mugging, robbery, and even carjacking. Make sure you don’t wear any excessive jewelry and always keep your belongings with you at all times as leaving them unattended could attract pickpockets. Keep your belongings, including cash and documents, locked at home.

What is the main health issue in Angola?

Malaria is Angola’s main health concern as well as a huge contributor to the country’s mortality rate.

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With neither the public nor private healthcare system accessible or even suitable options for expats, it’s evident that international health insurance is a must. If you can’t access local private hospitals in Angola and the public hospitals aren’t very good, you can request for a medical evacuation.

With over two decades of experience, Pacific Prime and our brokers can help you seek out suitable health insurance plans that align with both your budget range and unique healthcare needs for added peace of mind and increased access to quality healthcare all around the world.

Contact us today or compare quotes with our online quotation system!