Healthcare in Cuba: Hospitals and Health Insurance
Healthcare in Cuba
With a population of just under 11.4 million in 2015, Cuba ranks 82nd in the world by population and 103rd by total area. The official language of Cuba is Spanish. The currencies are the Cuban convertible peso and the Cuban peso.
Cuba ranks 39th in world health ranking per WHO. In 2014, the total expenditure on health per person was $2,475, which is 11.1% of the GDP. Cuban males have a life expectancy at birth of 77 years, and females can expect to live 81 years. There are 6.72 physicians per 1,000 people in Cuba as compared with 2.56 physicians per 1,000 people in the United States.
Hospitals in Cuba
Cuba’s healthcare system works at three levels:
- 13,000 local family practices and 450 polyclinics that offer general and specialty care
- 150 community hospitals that provide secondary services
- 12 institutes that offer highly specialized care, teaching, and research
- Public facilities lack basic necessities, not to mention modern equipment, and wait times are extremely long for most citizens. In addition, the infrastructure needs a lot of attention.
- There are no private hospitals or clinics.
Health Insurance in Cuba
Cuba has a national health system, with the government having fiscal and administrative responsibility for the free health care (from check-ups to the most complex surgery, including dental care and medicine) for all citizens.
The Cuban system of healthcare is based on primary care and prevention, with a family doctor assigned to every square block (1,000-1,500 people). The primary doctor gives vaccinations, check-ups, prescriptions, and referrals to a public hospital or clinic when necessary. The doctor comes to the patients’ homes and asks questions and observes life-style choices, trying to prevent potential diseases like hypertension with exercise rather than treat them later with a coronary by-pass.
Travel (International) Health Insurance in Cuba
Travel, or international, health insurance provides comprehensive medical coverage when traveling outside of one’s home country. Travel health insurance is different from travel insurance, as the latter may provide only emergency coverage but not full medical coverage.
Travelers should check with their health insurance provider, as they may already have an option of international health coverage. If they do not, they can purchase travel health insurance from their home country or the destination country.
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