Mauritius Health Insurance for Expats

International Health Insurance for Expats in Mauritius

For increased peace of mind, expats living in Mauritius are strongly urged to invest in international health insurance. This is because, assuming hospitals aren’t accessible or are commonly subpar in quality where you are, medical evacuation coverage can get you to a better hospital abroad.

This guide by Pacific Prime will discuss health insurance for expats in Mauritius, as well as a rundown of the country’s healthcare system along with general health and safety tips for expats.

Recommended International Health Insurance Plans for Expatriates Living in Mauritius

The Healthcare System in Mauritius

The healthcare system in Mauritius consists of both the public and private healthcare sectors. In Mauritius, public healthcare is free for both expats and local citizens but facilities may have some limitations like outdated equipment or longer waiting times.

Despite the cost, private healthcare is preferred among local citizens and expats alike due to superior facilities with better, more up-to-date equipment, and higher quality care compared to their public counterparts. Below we will discuss public and private hospitals in Mauritius.

Public Hospitals in Mauritius

Mauritius’ public hospitals are accessible to both expats and local citizens alike, offering healthcare services for free. Public healthcare in Mauritius encompasses regional hospitals, small local medical centers, and specialized centers.

Despite the free healthcare and mass accessibility, public hospitals and clinics in Mauritius do have drawbacks common with public healthcare in general. For instance, medical equipment may not be up-to-date and waiting times may be long in public facilities.

Below is an example of a notable public hospital in Mauritius:

• Victoria Hospital: This hospital, located on Candos Vacoas Road in Quatre Bornes, provides a wide range of medical services such as general medicine and surgery, pediatrics, cardiology, radiology, and more.

Due to the limitations mentioned above, private hospitals are generally preferred over their public counterparts among both expats and local citizens.

Private Hospitals in Mauritius

Despite the considerably higher cost, private hospitals make up for the shortcomings seen in public hospitals with superior facilities featuring more modern equipment and higher quality care in comparison to their aforementioned public counterparts.

Because of this, it’s easy to see why private hospitals in Mauritius are preferred among not only expats, but also local citizens. Below are some examples of private hospitals available in Mauritius:

• C-Care Wellkin: This hospital, located in Royal Road, Moka, offers various areas of medical specialties such as oncology, ophthalmology, neurology & neurosurgery, and more.
• Clinique du Bon Pasteur: This hospital features a wide array of medical services such as maternity care, hospitalization, radiology, pharmacy, and more.

Health Insurance Options for Expats in Mauritius

Expats in Mauritius have the option of choosing either public or private health insurance. On one hand, public health insurance will allow access to public medical facilities and basic healthcare although facilities may be questionable in quality.

On the other hand, private health insurance is once again generally preferred among expats and local citizens due to greater access to higher-quality medical facilities.

Public Health Insurance in Mauritius

Mauritius offers universal health coverage, which means all local citizens and expats are entitled to not only basic health services in public hospitals and clinics, but those health services are also free of charge.

While public health insurance allows access to basic healthcare in public hospitals or clinics throughout the country, the quality of care and medical equipment may vary with certain facilities not being up to par in treatment quality, lacking up-to-date equipment, or both.

Private Health Insurance in Mauritius

Due to the limitations of public healthcare mentioned earlier, expats generally prefer carrying private health insurance. This can be seen in its various benefits such as increased hospital accessibility or freedom in hospital and specialist selections.

The following are key benefits of carrying private health insurance:

• Free Selection: Private health insurance allows you to freely choose any specific hospital or doctor you would like. This could also include hospitals known for offering much shorter waiting times, multilingual medical staff, or both, which brings us to our next few points.
• Better Hospital Accessibility: With the free selection feature allowing you to choose any specific hospital you’d like, you can then access higher quality hospitals with more up-to-date medical equipment and shorter waiting times, allowing prompt access to quality healthcare for all.
• Multilingual Medical Staff Access: Private health insurance also allows you to freely select specific doctors you’d like, which makes it easier for non-French-speaking expats to communicate with and understand what the doctors, nurses, and other medical staff are saying.
• Better Amenities: Private health insurance also allows you to freely choose hospitals that feature better amenities compared to their public counterparts. This may include bigger, more spacious wards, which would be useful for pregnant women or hospitalized patients.
• Additional Benefits as Needed: Private health insurance allows you to also add on any additional benefit on top of your default plan to maximize coverage for yourself and your family as you would like. These benefits may include dental and vision care, prescription medication, or maternity coverage.

Because of the questionable quality of medical care and equipment in Mauritius’ public hospitals and clinics, securing international health insurance is strongly recommended for maximum peace of mind for expats.

Let’s say you live in an area in Mauritius where it’s common for public hospitals to lack up-to-date medical equipment and waiting times may be longer than you would like, if your international health insurance plan covers medical evacuation, this is where you can access better hospitals abroad.

With medical evacuation coverage under your international health insurance plan, you can then call for transportation to get you to a better hospital abroad without having to pay out of pocket for transportation fees, allowing you to access better hospitals without compromising your savings.

Recommended International Health Insurance Plans for Expats in Mauritius

Notable international health insurance providers for expats in Mauritius that we strongly recommend include Cigna, Geoblue, and more. In the following sections, we will be discussing each of these insurers and give you a quick rundown of each of their shared benefits.

Geoblue

Geoblue’s Xplorer health insurance plans, featuring the essential and premier types, are made for expats traveling from the United States for business and studying, or just leisure purposes.

Expats can also choose worldwide coverage options with or without the US. Some of the common features seen throughout Geoblue’s various health insurance plans are outlined below:

April International

April International’s plans are designed uniquely for expats, encompassing hospitalization, outpatient services, dental, as well as maternity coverage. Additionally, they also include user-friendly mobile claims and support, a 24/7 telemedicine service, and a large direct billing network.

Below are examples of the shared areas of coverage seen throughout their plans:

AXA

AXA Global’s plans provide many different tiers of customizable coverage, such as options for hospitalization, outpatient treatments, emergency care, as well as medical evacuation. Thanks to its maximum flexibility, it’s evident that AXA’s plans are a favorite among expats.

Listed below are key examples of the shared areas coverage seen throughout AXA’s health insurance plans:

Cigna Global

Cigna Global offers customizable, comprehensive health insurance plans, granting expats maximum peace of mind and flexibility thanks to 24/7 customer service. The types of plans available include the Silver plan, the Gold plan, and the Platinum plan.

Each plan has its unique benefits and coverage limits. The common benefits shared throughout Cigna Global’s health insurance plans are as follows:

Factors to Consider When Securing Insurance in Mauritius

Expats securing health insurance in Mauritius will need to consider some key factors, such as the questionable quality of public hospitals and general insurance concerns like basing decisions on comprehensiveness rather than price.

Below are the key factors to consider when securing insurance in Mauritius:

• Questionable Public Healthcare: While public healthcare in Mauritius is free of charge and accessible to both expats and local citizens, there is no guarantee the medical equipment is necessarily up to date. What’s more, waiting times may also be long, making treatment very problematic.
• Don’t Decide Based on Price: When deciding on any health insurance plan, it’s important to forego any biased price-based decision as the cheapest plan won’t guarantee comprehensive coverage despite its affordability.
• Decide Based on Comprehensiveness: Instead, decide based on comprehensiveness so you can ensure maximum coverage for yourself as well as your family. You can start by defining your healthcare priorities and then choose benefits such as dental, vision, or maternity coverage.

Health and Safety Tips for Expats in Mauritius

Expats in Mauritius should be on the lookout for mosquito or food and waterborne diseases like dengue and chikungunya or gastroenteritis as well as petty crimes despite the country’s low crime rate in general.

Below are key health and safety tips to keep in mind:

• Mosquito-Borne Diseases: Mosquito-borne diseases such as chikungunya, dengue, and malaria are incredibly common in Mauritius. You can prevent these diseases by ensuring your windows and doors are properly closed to prevent mosquitoes from entering.
• Food and Waterborne Diseases: There are also food and waterborne diseases such as gastroenteritis or hepatitis, both of which are spread through contaminated food or water. Avoid raw and undercooked food in favor of freshly made meals and boiled or bottled water.
• Petty Crimes: While Mauritius’ crime rates are low, there is still a risk of petty crimes such as pickpocketing or bag snatching. Don’t bring too many valuables and large sums of cash and don’t leave your belongings unattended.

Emergency Numbers for Expats in Mauritius

There are many different emergency hotline numbers available for usage in Mauritius for both local citizens and expats. Below are the different emergency numbers for the country:

• Police: 999 or 112
• Child Protection: 113
• Ambulance: 114
• Fire & Rescue: 113

Frequently Asked Questions

Is healthcare in Mauritius good?

Mauritius’ healthcare is high in quality, free, and accessible to expats and local citizens. However, the public facilities may not feature the most up-to-date medical equipment and waiting times may be long. Private hospitals are preferred due to shorter waiting times and better equipment.

What is the biggest hospital in Mauritius?

C-Care Wellkin is the biggest and most modern private hospital in Mauritius, featuring state-of-the-art facilities and highly trained doctors, allowing expats to access quality healthcare and granting them increased peace of mind knowing their wellbeing is in good hands with skilled doctors.

How safe is Mauritius for expats?

While crime rates in Mauritius are relatively low, there are risks of petty crimes like pickpocketing or bag snatching. Thus, it’s crucial not to leave your belongings unattended and not bring too many valuables or large sums of cash.

Get an Insurance Quote Today

Mauritius’ healthcare is not only high in quality and free of charge but is also accessible to both expats as well as local citizens alike. Public facilities may lack modern equipment and longer waiting times could be problematic.

This is one area where private hospitals shine. Waiting times are much shorter, allowing you to access quality healthcare with more modern equipment for added peace of mind. Assuming you live in areas where private hospitals aren’t available, international health insurance is strongly recommended.

And this is where Pacific Prime comes in. Our brokers, with over 20 years of experience, can help you seek out, compare, and select health insurance plans that not only tick the boxes for your budget range but also your unique healthcare priorities to ensure maximum coverage and peace of mind.

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