The Maldives Health Insurance for Expats

International Health Insurance for Expats in The Maldives

International health insurance is one crucial factor expats in the Maldives should not miss because an international health insurance plan helps cover medical expenses and keep your finances safe on the islands.

This Pacific Prime guide will discuss international health insurance for expats in the Maldives, as well as the country’s healthcare system along with general safety and wellbeing tips for expats.

Recommended International Health Insurance Plans for Expatriates Living in The Maldives

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

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AXA Global Health Insurance Plan

• Experienced Personal Support 24/7
• Easy Online Access
• Virtual Doctor Service
• Mind Health Support
• Maximum Annual Benefit Limit up to USD $8,000,000

Plan Details Get a Quote

The Healthcare System in The Maldives

The Maldives’ healthcare system consists of the public and private healthcare sectors. The public healthcare system encompasses five different tiers of hierarchical systems of medical services although public hospitals may be short on medical professionals or equipment.

On the other hand, despite the considerably higher cost, private hospitals are generally preferred among expats thanks to superior facilities with better equipment and healthcare professionals. Below we will discuss public and private hospitals in the Maldives.

Public Hospitals in The Maldives

The Maldives’ public healthcare sector primarily operates under a 5-tier hierarchical system of medical services. The five different tiers of medical services under the Maldives’ public healthcare sector are as follows:

• Central
• Regional
• Atoll
• Sub-Atolls
• Island-level services

While local citizens and expats can access basic medical care just fine in the Maldives through public hospitals, these types of hospitals have some drawbacks common with public hospitals in general. For instance, facilities may lack skilled medical professionals or equipment, sometimes both.

Additionally, some hospitals may also be excessively crowded, resulting in longer waiting times, or some expats may run into language barrier issues with medical staff if they do not speak Maldivian, which would be incredibly problematic for expats seeking medical care in the Maldives.

Below is an example of a notable public hospital in the Maldives:

• Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital: This large government hospital providing tertiary healthcare features a multitude of medical departments such as cardiology, dentistry, pediatrics, physiotherapy, neurology, and more.

Private Hospitals in The Maldives

Despite the higher cost, expats tend to shy away from public hospitals in the Maldives in favor of their private counterparts thanks to increased benefits. Private hospitals feature superior medical staff and equipment, as well as convenience and speed, which is what public hospitals tend to lack.

Private hospitals in the Maldives also offer many other services such as hospital treatment, inpatient care, and traditional medicine. With increased convenience and speed, expats can ensure quicker access to medical care as well as less crowded facilities.

What’s more, private hospitals in the Maldives also eliminate expats’ concerns over language barrier issues with more multilingual medical staff. Below are examples of key private hospitals available in the Maldives:

• ADK Hospital: This hospital seeks to provide quality healthcare and features various departments of medical services such as anesthesia, cardiology, dentistry, emergency medicine, neurology, pediatrics, and more.
• Treetop Hospital: This hospital features many different medical facilities such as the central pharmacy, dialysis unit, the ICU, the neurophysiology lab, and more.

Health Insurance Options for Expats in The Maldives

The Maldives features a public, government-sponsored health insurance scheme for all islanders as well as expats who legally work in the country. Meanwhile, private health insurance is generally preferred among expats due to greater hospital access and increased benefits.

Below we will discuss the public and private health insurance options for expats in the Maldives.

Public Health Insurance in The Maldives

The Maldives’ public health insurance scheme is government-sponsored. All local islanders are entitled to $6,500 worth of the annual government health insurance scheme as are expats legally working in the country.

It’s also worth noting that employers will have to pay an upfront fee to apply for the health insurance scheme on behalf of their foreign employees.

This government health insurance scheme covers emergency hospitalization, medical treatment, emergency evacuation, inpatient & outpatient care, prescription medication, diagnostics, and treatment overseas in special cases.

However, the overseas treatment coverage for special cases is exclusively reserved for individuals who earn high wages in the country. What’s more, while the public health insurance scheme allows access to basic medical care, facilities may be crowded or short of medical staff and equipment.

Because of this, expats tend to carry private health insurance due to greater benefits, which we will touch upon in our next point.

Private Health Insurance in The Maldives

Due to the limited availability of overseas treatment coverage through the Maldives’ public health insurance scheme and the questionable quality of certain public hospitals, expats usually prefer to carry private health insurance due to the following additional benefits:

• Free Hospital and Doctor Selection: Private health insurance allows expats to freely choose any particular hospital or doctor they would like, which may include less-crowded hospitals that are better-equipped with shorter waiting times and multilingual staff, which brings us to our next few points.
• Better Hospital Accessibility: Private health insurance allows expats to choose specific hospitals that are better equipped with shorter waiting times compared to their public counterparts, allowing greater access to treatment as needed.
• Multilingual Staff Accessibility: For expats with concerns over language barriers when communicating with certain medical staff in the Maldives, private health insurance ensures you have access to hospitals with multilingual staff, making it much easier to understand each other.
• Superior Amenities: Private health insurance also allows expats to choose private hospitals known for their superior amenities. These may include larger, more spacious wards, which could be especially beneficial for hospitalized patients and visitors.
• Additional Benefits as Required: Expats, through private health insurance, can also add benefits such as maternity, dental, or vision coverage on top of their default plans, ensuring maximum coverage for themselves as well as their families.

Due to the Maldives’ potentially under-equipped hospitals with a lack of medical staff, expats are strongly urged to invest in international health insurance.

Let’s say you’re living in an area in the Maldives where not only are private hospitals inaccessible, but it’s also common for public hospitals to be underequipped, have a shortage in medical staff, or both, this is where medical evacuation comes in.

If your international health insurance plan covers medical evacuation, you can call for transportation to get you to a better hospital abroad and you won’t have to pay out of pocket for the transportation service regardless of the mode of transportation, distance, or destination.

Recommended International Health Insurance Plans for Expats in The Maldives

Some key international health insurance providers recommended for expats in the Maldives include Cigna, AXA, and more. In the following sections, we will be discussing each insurer and give you a brief rundown of each of their shared benefits or areas of coverage throughout their plans.

April International

April International’s plans are uniquely tailored to expats, featuring hospitalization, and outpatient services, along with dental and maternity coverage. They also offer user-friendly mobile claims and support, a 24/7 telemedicine service, and a large direct billing network.

Examples of the shared areas of coverage seen throughout their plans are as follows:

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

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Cigna Global

Cigna Global’s health insurance plans, consisting of the Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans, are comprehensive and customizable, granting expats maximum flexibility thanks to 24/7 customer service.

Each plan has its coverage limits along with benefits and the following are common benefits seen throughout their health insurance plans:

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

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AXA

AXA Global’s plans provide different levels of customizable coverage, which includes options for hospitalization, outpatient treatments, emergency care, as well as medical evacuation. Thanks to its maximum flexibility, it’s easy to see why AXA’s plans are a favorite among expats.

The following are notable 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

Plan Details Get a Quote

Factors to Consider When Securing Insurance in The Maldives

Being an expat in the Maldives, there are numerous key factors you should consider when securing health insurance in the country, like the potentially questionable public hospitals and foregoing price-based decisions in favor of comprehensiveness.

The following are the factors you should consider as an expat securing health insurance in the Maldives:

• Questionable Public Hospitals: Some public hospitals are either under-equipped or lack medical staff, while sometimes it’s both. What’s more, certain hospitals may also be crowded with long waiting times. This would make it incredibly problematic for expats seeking healthcare in the Maldives.
• The Public Health Insurance Scheme: While allowing access to different areas of medical care, the Maldives’ public health insurance scheme’s overseas treatment coverage is exclusively available only for those earning high wages in the country.
• Don’t Decide Based on Price: While affordable, the cheapest health insurance plan available will not guarantee comprehensive coverage for you and will leave odd gaps in uninsured areas. Instead, it’s crucial to decide based on comprehensiveness, which brings us to our next point.
• Decide Based on Comprehensiveness: Deciding on health insurance plans with comprehensiveness in mind allows you to define your healthcare priorities and choose benefits you would like such as dental, vision, or maternity coverage to ensure maximum coverage for yourself and your family.
• Pre-Existing Conditions: Some insurers will not accept your health insurance application if you have any pre-existing conditions such as illnesses or injuries at the time of applying while some will but with additional payment. Contact your insurer for eligibility details if you have any questions.

Health and Safety Tips for Expats in The Maldives

Be on the lookout for common health issues in the Maldives such as Chikungunya or measles as well as potential petty crime regardless of the crime rates. Below are key health and safety tips for expats in the Maldives.

Common Health Issues in The Maldives

Some common health issues in the Maldives include diseases such as Chikungunya, the Zika virus, Typhoid, and more. Below are brief descriptions of each common disease in the Maldives that expats should be on the lookout for:

• Chikungunya: Transmitted through mosquito bites, this disease causes fever and severe joint pain as well as headaches, fatigue, nausea, and skin rashes.
• Dengue: Once again mosquito-borne, this disease can be fatal and its symptoms include fever, headaches, eye pain, muscle and joint pain, as well as nausea and skin rashes.
• Zika: Another mosquito-borne disease, this disease is especially dangerous for pregnant women as it can cause birth defects. Symptoms include conjunctivitis (pink eye), joint and muscle pain, skin rashes, and headaches.
• Typhoid: Typhoid fever is a dangerous disease spread through contaminated food and water. Its symptoms include muscle pain, headaches, appetite loss, stomach pain, coughing, skin rashes, nausea and vomiting, and chills.

Mosquito-borne diseases such as Chikungunya, dengue, and Zika can be prevented by keeping your doors and windows closed to prevent mosquito entry. If you have to, you can also install a mosquito light trap indoors.

Meanwhile, you can prevent typhoid by avoiding contaminated food and water as well as eating freshly cooked meals.

Safety in The Maldives

While crime rates are low in exclusive resort islands, there is always a risk of petty crimes such as theft or pickpocketing where someone could sneak up on your unattended belongings and steal items such as money, valuables, or documents.

To prevent such occurrences, do not leave your belongings unattended and refrain from bringing too many sums of cash or your valuables. Keep your sums of cash and valuables locked away at home or in your hotel.

Emergency Numbers for Expats in The Maldives

Below are the different emergency numbers available in the Maldives for expats:

• Police: 119
• Coast Guard: 191
• Fire and Rescue Service: 118
• National Disaster Management Authority: 115
• National Ambulance Service: 100
• Maldivian Red Crescent: 1425

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the healthcare system in the Maldives?

In the Maldives, medical facilities are rather limited and many public facilities are under-equipped, short on medical staff, or both in some cases. Private hospitals, however, offer greater quality of care and are generally preferred among expats.

What medication can I take to the Maldives?

You can bring most kinds of medication with you to the Maldives as long as you show the doctor’s prescription and the carried amount does not exceed your requirements for the duration of your stay in the Maldives.

Do people get sick in the Maldives?

In the Maldives, people tend to get mosquito-borne diseases like Chikungunya, Dengue, or Zika, as well as contaminated food or waterborne diseases like Typhoid or food poisoning.

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While public hospitals in the Maldives will allow access to basic healthcare to some capacity, there are still some limitations such as the overseas treatment coverage being only exclusive to those earning high wages as well as the general drawbacks of public hospitals.

With private health insurance, however, expats can gain better access to better facilities. International health insurance is strongly recommended. If your plan covers medical evacuation, you can access a better hospital abroad without needing to pay out of pocket for transportation.

And this is exactly where Pacific Prime and our brokers come in. With more than 20 years of experience, we can help you compare and select a suitable health insurance plan that ticks the boxes not just for your budget, but also your unique healthcare priorities for yourself and your family.

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