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Health Care System in ASEAN

health-care-system-in-asean

Southeast Asia has become the number one tourist and expatriate destination due to its cultural diversity and its beauty in nature. Driven by these factors, healthcare in the regions is increasing, therefore private healthcare services are in demand. Below I will focus on the healthcare system given by the Southeast Asian nations especially for expatriates.

Singapore:

Many of you may have already known, Singapore is well known for its excellent level in medical care. However, the healthcare prices in Singapore comes at a very high cost! The World Health Organization ranked Singapore number 6 out of 190 countries for its health system. No wonder, many flee to Singapore to seek medical attention.

There are mandatory Medicare or even comprehensive coverage insurance scheme offered in Singapore, however, they are only made for people who are already considered “permanent residents”. If you are a traveler or an expatriate, you may want to consider private health insurance services.

Public Hospital for Expat: Public Healthcare are highly respected institutions in Singapore as they have excellent equipment and services. The facilities provided by the public hospitals are mainly subsidized to locals and permanent residents that are given national insurance scheme therefore expats will not find a huge difference in cost in the public nor the private sector.

Private Hospital for Expat: Expatriates will mostly prefer going to a private hospital as the cost of the service has barely a difference than the public sector. The day to day healthcare cost in Singapore can be quite affordable however, it is very much recommended to have private health insurance to cover for a more complicated illness that needs special treatments and medications.

Brunei: 

Brunei was ranked 40th out of 190 countries in its medical system. The small nation of Brunei Darussalam offers free medical services to its citizens and permanent residents however expatriates are required to pay for insurance services. Their public health care system has one of the highest quality in the world! It is advisable to check for private insurances to cover your needs before moving or traveling to the country.

Thailand:

Thailand was ranked 47th in its health system by W.H.O. The quality of their service is generally good, especially in Bangkok. There are no free hospitals that can be accessed by foreigners.

Public Hospital for Expats: There are over 1,000 public hospitals in Thailand with a generally good service. However, equipment used in the public sector can be outdated and the waiting line for the visit could belong as many of the population are using the facilities.

Private Hospital for Expats: Many of the doctors in private hospitals are excellent and are usually first-rated doctors. Many expats will find that the cost of treatment will be much cheaper than offered usually in the USA or Europe. The best private hospitals are found in the capital of Thailand, Bangkok. Many insurance companies will choose to evacuate their clients to Thailand due to excellent doctors and first-rated medical services.

Malaysia:

Malaysia’s health care facilities and system was ranked 49th in the table made by W.H.O. There has been an increased in spending in specialist doctors and they are well known for their excellence in cardiology and ophthalmology and many other specialties.

As in most other countries, the best hospitals will be found in larger cities such as Kuala Lumpur and areas where tourists are high. As a foreigner, government-funded and private hospitals are accessible, however, as expats or travelers there are no free medical services available. Both public and private hospitals have highly skilled doctors providing high-quality medical services.

Indonesia:

Indonesia is ranked 92 out of 190 nations by WHO in its health system. According to statistic, Indonesia has the lowest rate of healthcare spending in the world with only 2.9% of its Gross Domestic Product. Indonesia has a funded government mandatory health scheme services (BPJS) however this is not open for non-permanent residents or expatriates. If you are an expat living in Indonesia with KITAS you can apply for the BPJS health scheme but if you do not own the following document then we suggest to look into private health insurance offers.

Public Hospital for Expat:  Many public hospitals in Indonesia have limited facilities therefore the standards of local hospitals are commonly poor. Thus many public hospitals are over-crowded meaning that the waiting line can be very long!

Private Hospital for Expat: Private health care in Indonesia is far more expensive than public hospitals that are funded by the government. Some expat may still find that the quality of the service is still not up to standard than they are used to. For this reason, many expats choose to fly to neighboring countries for serious treatment.

It is highly advisable to consider health insurance if you are an expat that will have evacuation coverage outside of Indonesia in case of an emergency.

Vietnam:

Vietnam was ranked 160 out of 190 member states in the WHO table. The Vietnamese government has stepped up and increased its GDP spending on healthcare services, which has now reached 7.1% of its GDP. They are also working on developing a universal health care plan to cover all of its residents.

In the present moment, many citizens have to pay for their medical treatments either in public nor private hospitals.

Public Hospital for Expats:

Many expatriates will realize that the services given in the public hospital do not meet the standard that is usually given in North America or Western Europe. Many public hospitals in Vietnam have inadequate funding as well as a lack of equipment. Most doctors working in public hospitals commonly only speak the Vietnamese language.

In rural areas, hospital services are even poorer and you may not even find any medical services in remote areas of the countryside.

Private Hospitals for Expats:

Vietnamese standards in private hospitals are considered outstanding. Many doctors found in the city such as Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi are doctors that are employed from the USA, Korea, Japan, France and of course Vietnamese doctors.

Generally, private hospitals will charge higher than public hospitals everywhere in the world. If you are planning to move to Southeast Asia make sure to consider comprehensive health coverage to ensure you and your family’s health is covered. Many Southeast Asian Nation expats will find that the public health sector will not meet the standard that they are used to, therefore, expatriates will prefer private healthcare services. For this reason, private health insurance will give you access to the best private hospitals to cover your medical assistance. Contact us at infos@aexpat.com for a quote or further assistance in finding the perfect coverage for you and your family!  

Southeast Asia has become the number one tourist and expatriate destination due to its cultural diversity and its beauty in nature. Driven by these factors, healthcare in the regions is increasing, therefore private healthcare services are in demand. Below I will focus on the healthcare system given by the Southeast Asian nations especially for expatriates.

Singapore:

Many of you may have already known, Singapore is well known for its excellent level in medical care. However, the healthcare prices in Singapore comes at a very high cost! The World Health Organization ranked Singapore number 6 out of 190 countries for its health system. No wonder, many flee to Singapore to seek medical attention.

There are mandatory Medicare or even comprehensive coverage insurance scheme offered in Singapore, however, they are only made for people who are already considered “permanent residents”. If you are a traveler or an expatriate, you may want to consider private health insurance services.

Public Hospital for Expat: Public Healthcare are highly respected institutions in Singapore as they have excellent equipment and services. The facilities provided by the public hospitals are mainly subsidized to locals and permanent residents that are given national insurance scheme therefore expats will not find a huge difference in cost in the public nor the private sector.

Private Hospital for Expat: Expatriates will mostly prefer going to a private hospital as the cost of the service has barely a difference than the public sector. The day to day healthcare cost in Singapore can be quite affordable however, it is very much recommended to have private health insurance to cover for a more complicated illness that needs special treatments and medications.

Brunei: 

Brunei was ranked 40th out of 190 countries in its medical system. The small nation of Brunei Darussalam offers free medical services to its citizens and permanent residents however expatriates are required to pay for insurance services. Their public health care system has one of the highest quality in the world! It is advisable to check for private insurances to cover your needs before moving or traveling to the country.

Thailand:

Thailand was ranked 47th in its health system by W.H.O. The quality of their service is generally good, especially in Bangkok. There are no free hospitals that can be accessed by foreigners.

Public Hospital for Expats: There are over 1,000 public hospitals in Thailand with a generally good service. However, equipment used in the public sector can be outdated and the waiting line for the visit could belong as many of the population are using the facilities.

Private Hospital for Expats: Many of the doctors in private hospitals are excellent and are usually first-rated doctors. Many expats will find that the cost of treatment will be much cheaper than offered usually in the USA or Europe. The best private hospitals are found in the capital of Thailand, Bangkok. Many insurance companies will choose to evacuate their clients to Thailand due to excellent doctors and first-rated medical services.

Malaysia:

Malaysia’s health care facilities and system was ranked 49th in the table made by W.H.O. There has been an increased in spending in specialist doctors and they are well known for their excellence in cardiology and ophthalmology and many other specialties.

As in most other countries, the best hospitals will be found in larger cities such as Kuala Lumpur and areas where tourists are high. As a foreigner, government-funded and private hospitals are accessible, however, as expats or travelers there are no free medical services available. Both public and private hospitals have highly skilled doctors providing high-quality medical services.

Indonesia:

Indonesia is ranked 92 out of 190 nations by WHO in its health system. According to statistic, Indonesia has the lowest rate of healthcare spending in the world with only 2.9% of its Gross Domestic Product. Indonesia has a funded government mandatory health scheme services (BPJS) however this is not open for non-permanent residents or expatriates. If you are an expat living in Indonesia with KITAS you can apply for the BPJS health scheme but if you do not own the following document then we suggest to look into private health insurance offers.

Public Hospital for Expat:  Many public hospitals in Indonesia have limited facilities therefore the standards of local hospitals are commonly poor. Thus many public hospitals are over-crowded meaning that the waiting line can be very long!

Private Hospital for Expat: Private health care in Indonesia is far more expensive than public hospitals that are funded by the government. Some expat may still find that the quality of the service is still not up to standard than they are used to. For this reason, many expats choose to fly to neighboring countries for serious treatment.

It is highly advisable to consider health insurance if you are an expat that will have evacuation coverage outside of Indonesia in case of an emergency.

Vietnam:

Vietnam was ranked 160 out of 190 member states in the WHO table. The Vietnamese government has stepped up and increased its GDP spending on healthcare services, which has now reached 7.1% of its GDP. They are also working on developing a universal health care plan to cover all of its residents.

In the present moment, many citizens have to pay for their medical treatments either in public nor private hospitals.

Public Hospital for Expats:

Many expatriates will realize that the services given in the public hospital do not meet the standard that is usually given in North America or Western Europe. Many public hospitals in Vietnam have inadequate funding as well as a lack of equipment. Most doctors working in public hospitals commonly only speak the Vietnamese language.

In rural areas, hospital services are even poorer and you may not even find any medical services in remote areas of the countryside.

Private Hospitals for Expats:

Vietnamese standards in private hospitals are considered outstanding. Many doctors found in the city such as Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi are doctors that are employed from the USA, Korea, Japan, France and of course Vietnamese doctors.

Generally, private hospitals will charge higher than public hospitals everywhere in the world. If you are planning to move to Southeast Asia make sure to consider comprehensive health coverage to ensure you and your family’s health is covered. Many Southeast Asian Nation expats will find that the public health sector will not meet the standard that they are used to, therefore, expatriates will prefer private healthcare services. For this reason, private health insurance will give you access to the best private hospitals to cover your medical assistance. Contact us at infos@aexpat.com for a quote or further assistance in finding the perfect coverage for you and your family!  

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