Botswana Health Insurance for Expats

International Health Insurance for Expats in Botswana

Expats in Botswana are recommended to secure an international health insurance plan to protect them from unexpected injury or illness. This coverage is especially important since healthcare is nearly inaccessible in rural areas of the country.

Are you planning a move to Botswana? Or perhaps you’re just visiting? Either way, this guide provides you with an overview of the healthcare system in the country and other travel-related tips. In addition to this, you’ll also find out how to secure health insurance in Botswana.

Read on to learn more, or click below for a free quote!

Recommended International Health Insurance Plans for Expatriates Living in Botswana

The Healthcare System in Botswana

In Botswana, 98% of all healthcare facilities come under the public healthcare sector. Despite this, expats in Botswana will find a large gap between the quality of care at public and private facilities.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been involved with restructuring Botswana’s Ministry of Health, offering both technical expertise and financial assistance in order to efficiently combat the unique healthcare challenges of this sparsely populated country.

Like in much of Africa, the public healthcare sector predominately caters to lower socioeconomic groups, while expats and affluent locals rely on the private healthcare system or travel abroad for treatment.

Botswana’s Public Hospitals

Most hospitals in Botswana can be found in larger urban areas, with rural areas facing the problem of a lack of healthcare facilities. Doctors in public Botswana hospitals are not likely to know English, and the quality of care may not be the same that some expats are used to.

Here is a short list of some of the public hospitals in Botswana:

• Kasane Primary Hospital in Kasane, Botswana
• Good Hope Hospital in Good Hope, Botswana
• Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana

Botswana’s Private Hospitals

Expats are encouraged to seek out medical care from private hospitals in Botswana as these facilities are generally of higher quality and can offer multilingual staff. Private health insurance policies can help expats afford medical care from these facilities and help them find providers.

Here is a short list of some of the private hospitals in Botswana:

• Life Gaborone Private Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana
• Lenmed Bokamoso Private Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana
• Sidilega Private Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana

Health Insurance Options for Expats in Botswana

Expats in Botswana have the option of paying their medical bills out of pocket or purchasing private health insurance. The public health insurance scheme is not available for foreigners as it is only available for Botswana citizens.

Public Health Insurance in Botswana

Public health insurance in Botswana is provided through the government and is a universal access policy available for all citizens. Public healthcare in the country is still not entirely accessible for all Botswana’s citizens, especially due to the wide regions of rural areas.

Private Health Insurance in Botswana

Private health insurance in Botswana offers expats financial protection against unexpected medical events and grants them access to private healthcare facilities. Private healthcare facilities are often better outfitted to help international patients.

Private health insurance can be purchased from local providers or international health insurance providers. A major benefit of securing a plan from an international health insurance provider is the global portability of the plans and worldwide provider network.

Private health insurance can provide you coverage in Botswana with a variety of customizable and flexible benefits. Many of these important benefits are:

• Inpatient coverage
• Outpatient coverage
• Medical evacuation coverage
• Repatriation of remains coverage
• Dental and optical coverage
• And more

Best Private Insurance Providers for Expats in Botswana

The best private insurance providers for expats in Botswana are offered by international health insurance providers Cigna, AXA, and Allianz. We will share a brief overview and highlight these provider’s plans in the following sections.

Cigna Global Insurance in Botswana

Cigna provides flexible insurance plans to expats in Botswana and across the world. They offer their members 24/7 access to a customer care team and access to any of Botswana’s and neighboring country’s private healthcare facilities. Their plans are customizable and comprehensive.

Cigna has a Silver, Gold, and Platinum plan with different levels of coverage. All three of these plans share several common key coverage benefits:

Allianz Insurance in Botswana

Allianz offers comprehensive insurance plans in Botswana to fit a variety of expats’ and their family’s needs. Riders are available to be purchased and attached to basic policies that Allianz provides. These riders can offer coverage for accidents and other risks that expats may face abroad.

Some of the basic coverage for their plans includes:

AXA Insurance in Botswana

AXA is a leading international health insurance provider that insures expat individuals and families in Botswana. Its health insurance plans are offered in five coverage tiers: Foundation, Standard, Comprehensive, Prestige, and Prestige Plus.

Each of these plans includes comprehensive inpatient coverage, with annual limits ranging from USD $160,000 to $8,000,000. Exact coverage benefits will vary from plan to plan.

The core benefits included in all five plans are:

Facts to Consider when Picking Insurance in Botswana

Some of the most important factors to consider for your insurance policy in Botswana are your budget, how long your trip is, and what your coverage needs are. Considering these factors is an important step to finding the right insurance plan for you.

1. Your Budget: You should understand how much you can afford in monthly or yearly premiums, but this doesn’t mean you should try to find the cheapest coverage possible. You should ensure that your health and finances will be adequately protected through the coverage limit you purchase.
2. The Length of Your Trip: How long your trip is will determine how long you will need to purchase coverage, and whether you will need a travel insurance plan that will last only a few months or something more comprehensive like an international health insurance plan.
3. Your Coverage Needs: Do you plan on needing outpatient care for your time in Botswana? Or preventative care? Take the time to determine where you may need additional medical support to ensure that you have the right coverage for your health needs.

Botswana Health and Travel Advice

Expats in Botswana can stay safe while traveling abroad by staying up to date on their vaccinations and avoiding bug bites. Additionally, Travelers in Botswana are advised to secure a travel insurance plan if they aren’t already in possession of a valid international health insurance plan.

We will discuss more of these health and safety tips below:

Vaccinations for Botswana

Vaccinations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) before travel to Botswana include routine immunizations such as measles, mumps & rubella (MMR), diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT), and poliovirus vaccines.

In addition to this, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, and Rabies vaccines are also recommended for travelers approximately 4 to 6 weeks before their departure to Botswana.

Avoid Bug Bites

Several diseases associated with insect bites, including those from the tsetse fly, are very common in rural southern Africa, so caution is suggested. Wearing long-sleeved clothing and using insect repellent with DEET is recommended.

Travelers in Botswana are also at risk of malaria, so using a mosquito net at night over your bed and traveling with antimalarial medication are other useful defenses.

Follow Food and Water Safety Rules

Food and water-based diseases are the most common for travelers. Be sure to drink bottled water, wash hands often with soap or hand sanitizer, and avoid eating raw foods.

Please note that the information on this page is not fully comprehensive and is subject to change without prior warning. It is advisable to consult with a local Botswana embassy should you have any doubts before you depart on your journey.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do foreigners get free healthcare in Botswana?

Foreigners do not receive free healthcare in Botswana and will need to pay for all their medical services out of pocket unless they have a private health insurance plan that covers them while in the country.

Is health insurance required for expats in Botswana?

While health insurance is not mandatory for expats visiting Botswana, it is highly recommended due to the financial protection it provides foreigners. Additionally, medical evacuation coverage can be a necessity while visiting rural areas with little to no nearby healthcare facilities.

Conclusion: Compare Plans and Quotes Now

If you’re planning on visiting Botswana, it is highly recommended that you secure a private health insurance policy before you go. International health insurance provides expats with a globally portable plan with all the customizable and comprehensive coverage that they need.

We leverage our partnerships with top insurers to offer vetted expat health insurance plans to foreign nationals in Botswana. In addition to this, we also have a team of friendly and knowledgeable advisors on hand, ready to support you and answer any questions you may have.

If you’d like to learn more about your health insurance options, simply reach out to us for a no-obligation quote and insurance consultation!