Uganda Health Insurance for Expats

International Health Insurance for Expats in Uganda

Expats looking to relocate to Uganda should secure an international health insurance plan for enhanced financial protection. Beyond basic medical bills and treatment, international health insurance also allows you to extend the coverage to your family for maximum peace of mind.

This guide by Pacific Prime will discuss health insurance in Uganda, including the country’s healthcare system, options for health insurance, as well as general well-being and safety tips for expats.

Recommended International Health Insurance Plans for Expatriates Living in Uganda

The Healthcare System in Uganda

Uganda’s healthcare system consists of the public and private healthcare sectors. The public sector allows access to basic healthcare but at the cost of staff and modern equipment shortage while private healthcare is a preferred alternative due to greater benefits.

In the following sections, we will discuss public and private hospitals available throughout Uganda.

Public Hospitals in Uganda

Public hospitals in Uganda, while allowing access to basic healthcare, suffer from many of the same drawbacks as public hospitals in general. These include a shortage of medical staff and equipment as well as long waiting times, all of which can be problematic for expats seeking treatment.

Below is an example of a public hospital in Uganda:

• Butabika Hospital: This hospital features a clinical, nursing, and support services department. The clinical department, for instance, features various units of medical services such as mental healthcare, occupational therapy, and more.

Due to the aforementioned drawbacks of public hospitals in Uganda, expats tend to shy away from these hospitals in favor of their private counterparts.

Private Hospitals in Uganda

Private hospitals in Uganda make up for their public counterparts’ shortcomings with superior modern facilities featuring better medical equipment, higher quality of care, and specialized medical services.

Despite the considerably higher cost, these increased benefits are the main reasons why private hospitals in Uganda are generally preferred among expats. Below are examples of notable private hospitals in Uganda:

• C-Care: C-Care features numerous facilities throughout Uganda, including C-Care IHK, C-Care Dental, C-Care IMC, and C-Care IHKDef, as well as many different medical specialties such as anesthesia, dentistry, rheumatology, and many more.
• Nakasero Hospital: This private hospital features many different areas of medical services such as pediatric care, dental care, cardiology, and many more.

Health Insurance Options for Expats in Uganda

When it comes to options for health insurance for expats in Uganda, expats have the option of using the mandatory government-led National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) or securing their own private health insurance plan for maximum coverage and healthcare accessibility.

Below we will discuss expats’ different options available for health insurance in Uganda.

National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for Expats in Uganda

The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is required for all expats and local Ugandan citizens. This will allow expats to access basic medical services through public hospitals in Uganda.

While allowing access to basic medical services in Uganda’s public hospitals, public facilities may be short on medical equipment and/or quality medical staff, along with longer waiting times.

Thus, private health insurance is a preferred alternative among expats due to greater healthcare accessibility as well as other benefits, which we will discuss in our next section.

Private Health Insurance for Expats in Uganda

Because of the numerous setbacks of public healthcare in Uganda, expats tend to opt out of the country’s default NHIS public health insurance scheme and public hospitals altogether in favor of private health insurance and private hospitals despite the higher cost.

This can be seen in its various benefits such as greater healthcare accessibility, and the option to add any additional benefits as needed, among many others, which we have listed below:

• Free Selection: Private health insurance allows expats to select any particular hospital and/or doctor as they would like. This may include multilingual doctors or hospitals with shorter waiting times and increased amenities, which brings us to our next few points.
• Access to Hospitals with Shorter Waiting Times: With private health insurance, expats can then choose hospitals that are known for shorter waiting times, allowing expats to access the treatment they need in a timely manner.
• Multilingual Staff Access: Expats will also be able to access hospitals with multilingual medical staff, ensuring that not only they can access quality healthcare, but also easily communicate with medical staff without any language barrier issues.
• Access to Better Amenities: Through private health insurance, expats can then access specific hospitals with superior amenities compared to public hospitals. This may include larger, more spacious wards, which would be especially useful for hospitalized patients or mothers expecting a child.
• Additional Benefits as Needed: Expats also have the option to add on any benefits of their choosing to maximize coverage and extend said coverage to their family. This may include dental, vision, and maternity coverage, ensuring everyone has access to quality healthcare.

Because public healthcare is unfortunately marred with numerous issues such as staff and equipment shortages as well as problematic waiting times delaying treatment for patients, securing an international health insurance plan is strongly recommended for maximum peace of mind.

If you live in remote or rural areas in Uganda where private hospitals are next to inaccessible and it’s common for public hospitals available there to be understaffed, short on equipment, or have problematic waiting times, medical evacuation coverage will benefit you.

With medical evacuation coverage, you can then call for a method of transportation to get you to a better hospital abroad without straining your finances.

Recommended International Health Insurance Plans for Expats in Uganda

Some notable international health insurance providers we recommend for expats in Uganda include April International, Geoblue, and more. In the following sections, we will be discussing each individual insurer and give you a brief rundown of some of their shared features across their plans.

April International

Health insurance plans from April International for expats offer hospitalization, outpatient services, dental, and maternity coverage. Additionally, they also include a user-friendly mobile claims and support service, a 24/7 telemedicine service, as well as a vast direct billing network.

Listed below are some notable examples of the shared areas of coverage seen throughout their plans:

Cigna Global

Cigna Global’s health insurance plans are both comprehensive and customizable, granting expats maximum flexibility with the added bonus of 24/7 customer service. The following are the types of health insurance plans from Cigna Global:

• Silver
• Gold
• Platinum

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

AXA

AXA Global’s health insurance plans provide different levels of customizable coverage, such as options for hospitalization, outpatient treatments, emergency care, as well as medical evacuation coverage. Thanks to its flexibility, it’s no wonder why AXA’s plans are a favorite among expats.

Listed below are key examples of shared areas coverage across all of AXA’s plans:

Factors to Consider When Securing Insurance in Uganda

When it comes to securing health insurance in Uganda as an expat, expats should carefully consider general insurance-related considerations like foregoing price-based decisions in favor of comprehensiveness and more.

Below are key factors expats should consider when securing a health insurance plan for their time in Uganda.

• Uganda’s Inferior Public Healthcare: By default, public healthcare is problematic for expats due to longer waiting times along with a shortage of medical staff and modern equipment. What’s more, depending on where you live, private hospitals may also be next to inaccessible.
• Never Decide Based on Price: When deciding on any health insurance plan, it’s important to remember not to decide solely based on price. This is because, while affordable, the cheapest plan won’t guarantee comprehensive coverage and will leave you with odd gaps of uninsured areas.
• Decide Based on Comprehensiveness: Instead, decide based on plan comprehensiveness. You can start by defining your health priorities, as this will then come in handy for picking benefits like dental, vision, or maternity coverage which you can extend to your family for maximum peace of mind.

Health and Safety Tips for Expats in Uganda

Expats in Uganda should be aware of some health and safety concerns such as the risk of petty and violent crimes like bag snatching, pickpocketing, or robberies, as well as health issues such as food and waterborne diseases.

Below are general health and safety tips for expats in Uganda to be mindful of:

• Petty and Violent Crimes: There are risks of petty and non-violent crimes like bag-snatching or pickpocketing and robbery. Specifically, in the few seconds you leave your belongings unattended, someone could sneak up and grab them or your bag whole.
  • Prevention: Avoid carrying large sums of cash, excessive valuables, and documents. Instead, keep them safely locked back at your house or hotel, and don’t leave your belongings unattended. Be sure to also not walk alone at night and use indoor ATMs.
• Food and Waterborne Diseases: Be on the lookout for food and waterborne diseases such as typhoid and hepatitis. These diseases can spread through contaminated food and/or water consumption.
  • Prevention: Avoid raw, undercooked food as well as contaminated food and water. Instead, always make sure you drink bottled water and eat freshly made meals. This will also help prevent food poisoning.

Recommended Vaccines for Expats in Uganda

Some recommended vaccines for expats in Uganda include routine vaccination updates such as influenza, COVID-19, MMR, and more, which we have listed below:

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

Beyond routine vaccinations, other vaccines such as the Hepatitis vaccines, Rabies, and more, which we have also listed below:

• Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B
• Rabies
• Typhoid
• Yellow Fever
• Measles

For more information on vaccine doses or any other information, check out the article below from CDC for further reading:

Uganda - Traveler view | Travelers' Health | CDC

Emergency Numbers for Expats in Uganda

In the event of an emergency, below are some notable emergency numbers available for usage for expats in Uganda:

• Police: 112/999
• Fire Brigade: 112
• Ambulance: 911

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is public healthcare in Uganda considered subpar?

Uganda’s subpar public healthcare can be attributed to a shortage of modern medical equipment and adequately trained medical staff, both of which will be especially problematic for expats.

What are some common health issues in Uganda?

Some common health issues in Uganda include malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and neonatal conditions.

What are some safety concerns in Uganda?

Common safety concerns in Uganda include the risk of violent and petty crimes alike, such as pickpocketing or bag snatching and robbery. You can prevent this by avoiding bringing excessive cash, valuables, and documents, as well as refraining from walking alone at night.

Get a Quote Today

Because of Uganda’s basic healthcare system, private international health insurance is strongly recommended for expats. This is because, assuming you live in more remote areas where good hospitals aren’t accessible, medical evacuation coverage can get you to a better hospital overseas.

And we’re happy to report that this is where Pacific Prime and our brokers with over 20 years of experience come in. We can help you compare and select a health insurance plan that aligns with both your budget range and unique healthcare needs to ensure maximum coverage for yourself and your family.

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