Health Insurance in Niger for Expats

International Health Insurance for Expats in Niger

Expats in Niger, for maximum peace of mind and healthcare accessibility, are strongly urged to invest in international health insurance. Beyond basic medical bill coverage, expats can also choose benefits such as vision, dental, or maternity coverage, all of which they can extend to their families.

This Pacific Prime guide will discuss health insurance for expats in Niger as well as the country’s healthcare system, our picks for recommended international health insurance providers for expats, general safety and well-being tips, and more. 

Recommended International Health Insurance Plans for Expatriates Living in Niger

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

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

Plan Details Get a Quote

The Healthcare System in Niger

Niger’s healthcare consists of public and private healthcare. Public healthcare lacks resources and there is also a shortage of providers. While private healthcare has higher standards, very few people can afford them due to the higher cost. 

In the following sections, we will discuss public and private healthcare in Niger.

Public Hospitals in Niger

Unfortunately, public healthcare and hospitals in Niger suffer from a huge lack of resources, including a short supply of medicine. What’s more, there is also a shortage of facilities available in relation to the population. 

Public hospitals in Niger are mainly located in the capital city of Niamey, as well as Maradi, Zinder, and Tahoua. In smaller towns, healthcare is provided primarily by medical centers. Below is an example of a public hospital in Niger:

• National Hospital of Niamey: This government hospital provides a wide range of surgical and medical services. Additionally, the hospital is also equipped with radiology equipment while also providing psychiatry, neurosurgery, and cardiology care. 

Private Hospitals in Niger

Private healthcare and hospitals in Niger provide higher standards of care in comparison to their public counterparts. Despite the higher quality of care, one huge problem is that private facilities aren’t accessible for exactly everybody as not everyone can afford the high cost of treatment. 

Below are some examples of notable private healthcare facilities in Niger:

• Polyclinic Magori: This facility offers a multitude of medical services such as radiology, pediatrics, cardiology, and more. 

• Clinique Gamkalley: This clinic features various areas of medical services such as surgery, telemedicine, vaccinations, radiology, ultrasound, and more. 

In the event of serious medical complications and you can’t access higher-quality private hospitals in your area, we strongly urge you to make use of the medical evacuation feature under your health insurance plan to get to a better hospital abroad for prompt treatment.

Health Insurance Options for Expats in Niger

When it comes to health insurance options for expats in Niger, there is the country’s default state health insurance scheme, or you can secure your own private health insurance scheme for greater healthcare accessibility. 

Below are the main available health insurance options for expats in Niger.

Niger’s State Health Insurance Scheme

Niger features a National Health Insurance Scheme, which is a body set up by Decree 35 of 1999 (now known as Act 35). The scheme aims to provide accessible, affordable, quality healthcare for all citizens. 

However, public facilities lack resources and medication, and there is also a shortage of overall facilities in relation to the general population. For this reason, it’s not uncommon for expats to opt out of the state health insurance scheme in favor of private health insurance. 

Private Health Insurance for Expats in Niger

Due to the shortage of resources in public healthcare facilities and a lack of available public facilities in Niger overall, expats typically prefer carrying their own private health insurance. This can be seen in its various benefits, despite the higher cost, as outlined below:

• Free Selection: Private health insurance allows expats to freely choose specific doctors or hospitals as they would like, which may include those with shorter waiting times and multilingual medical staff, which brings us to our next points. 
• Multilingual Staff Access: Private health insurance allows expats to choose specific, possibly multilingual medical staff, which makes communication and understanding much easier for expats. 
• Access to Shorter Waiting Times: Expats can also choose specific hospitals using private health insurance, which may include those with shorter waiting times, allowing treatment access in a timely manner regardless of their medical case urgency.
• Better Amenities: Expats can also choose specific hospitals with better amenities such as bigger, more comfortable wards. This would be especially useful for pregnant women or hospitalized patients. 
• Additional Benefits: Expats can also add additional benefits, such as dental, vision, or maternity coverage, on top of their default plans to ensure maximum coverage, all of which they can also extend to their families for maximum healthcare accessibility for everyone.

For maximum peace of mind, we strongly recommend expats go for the most cost-effective health insurance option: international health insurance. As mentioned earlier, local hospitals in Niger may not be enough for serious medical complications, but this is where medical evacuation comes in.

Assuming you’re living in a rural area where private hospitals aren’t readily accessible or it’s common for local public hospitals in your area to be considered subpar in quality, medical evacuation coverage will allow you to get to a better hospital abroad without straining your finances.

Recommended International Health Insurance Providers for Expats in Niger

Some notable international health insurance providers we recommend for expats in Niger include Geoblue, April International, and more. In the sections to follow, we will discuss each insurer and give you a brief rundown of some of their shared key features seen throughout their plans. 

Geoblue

Geoblue’s Xplorer plan, which is broken down into the essential and premier types, is designed for expats traveling from the US for work, studying, or leisure purposes. 

Expats can also choose worldwide coverage options with or without US coverage. Below are key features seen throughout Geoblue’s health insurance plans:

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

Plan Details Get a Quote

April International 

April International’s health insurance plans provide hospitalization, outpatient services, maternity, and dental coverage for expats. Additionally, they also offer a round-the-clock telemedicine service, a user-friendly mobile claims and support service, and a large direct billing network.

April International’s various types of health insurance, along with their corresponding 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 examples of shared areas of coverage seen throughout April International’s various health insurance plans:

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

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AXA

AXA Global’s health insurance plans provide different levels of customizable coverage, featuring hospitalization, outpatient treatment, emergency care,  and medical evacuation coverage. Thanks to its flexibility, it’s easy to see why AXA’s health insurance plans are a favorite among expats. 

Listed below are AXA’s available health insurance plans and 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)

Examples of shared areas coverage seen throughout all of AXA’s health insurance plans are as follows:

• 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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Factors to Consider When Securing Health Insurance in Niger

Expats getting health insurance in Niger should consider important factors such as foregoing biased price-based decisions in favor of plan comprehensiveness and more. The following are factors expats should consider when getting health insurance in Niger:

• Don’t Decide Based on Price: When deciding on a health insurance plan, don’t decide based on the price. While affordable, the cheapest health insurance plans won’t guarantee comprehensive coverage and you will end up with odd gaps of uninsured areas where you’ll be forced to pay out of pocket.
• Comprehensiveness Comes First: Instead, decide based on plan comprehensiveness by selecting one that covers all of your healthcare priorities. Feel free to select any benefits such as maternity, vision, or dental coverage as you see fit for maximum healthcare access for you and your family.
  • Pre-Existing Conditions: Bear in mind that some insurers will either exclude pre-existing conditions coverage entirely while some will cover such conditions in exchange for additional payment or a waiting period. Contact your selected insurer if you have any questions.
• Medical Evacuation: Since hospitals in Niger aren’t up to par in quality and not everyone can afford or access private hospitals, having medical evacuation covered in your plan is a must as you can access better hospitals abroad without straining your finances. 

General Health and Safety Tips for Expats in Niger

Expats in Niger should be on the lookout for potential crimes, such as theft, robberies, or break-ins, and get vaccinated with routine vaccines and additional preventative vaccines for added safety. 

In the following sections, we will be going over some general safety and wellbeing tips for expats in Niger. 

Crime and Safety Tips for Expats in Niger

Crime is especially high in the capital of Niamey as thefts, robberies, and break-ins are known to occur. 

Expats can protect themselves by not carrying large sums of cash and wearing visible excessive jewelry, storing these back at home or in their hotel, along with documents, locking all doors and windows, and not leaving their belongings unattended. 

Additionally, if you need to park and leave your car unattended, make sure you completely lock your car and do not leave any valuables and/or documents inside as carjackers may target your vehicle and steal your belongings. 

Exercise caution when using the ATM by refraining from using them at night alone. If possible, try to use the ATMs available in large hotels where there will be security. 

Recommended Vaccines for Expats in Niger

Expats in Niger, as recommended by the CDC, are strongly urged to stay up to date on general routine vaccinations such as influenza and COVID-19 while also getting additional vaccines like the Hepatitis vaccines along with Cholera and more as a preventative measure. 

Below are the general routine vaccinations expats should be up to date on:

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

Additionally, the following preventative vaccines are strongly recommended:

• Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B
• Meningitis
• Polio
• Rabies
• Typhoid
• Yellow Fever

For other health recommendations, including vaccine doses and diseases to look out for, click the link below for further reading:

Niger - Traveler view | Travelers' Health | CDC

Emergency Numbers for Expats in Niger

In case of an emergency, there are various emergency numbers expats can call to reach out to local authorities and emergency services, as outlined below:

• Police: 17 or 20 72 31 41
• Ambulance: 15 or 20 72 31 41
• Fire & Rescue: 18

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some health problems in Niger?

Some known health problems in Niger include epidemics such as malaria, measles, and cholera are widespread and vaccines for these diseases are incredibly scarce.

What are the problems with the healthcare system in Niger?

Some of the biggest issues with Niger’s healthcare system include inadequate equipment, subpar quality services, understaffed facilities, poor infrastructure, and poor distribution of healthcare workers. 

Is Niger safe?

Crime, such as theft, robbery, or break-ins, is particularly high in Niamey. You can protect yourself by not carrying large sums of cash and excessive valuables as well as locking your home and vehicle completely.

Conclusion

Due to the subpar quality of healthcare in Niger, expats are strongly urged to get international health insurance for maximum healthcare accessibility. Beyond that, you can also select benefits such as dental, vision, and maternity coverage and extend them to your family. 

With over 20 years of experience, Pacific Prime and our brokers can help you select health insurance plans that not only align with your budget but also your unique healthcare priorities to ensure maximum coverage and peace of mind for you and your family.

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