HEALTH CARE
In Perfect Health New residents to Bermuda typically have two primary concerns: “What is the quality of health care on the island and what does it cost?”
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he good news is that the standard of health care here is high. All doctors and dentists must become board certified before they can practice. We only have one hospital, the King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH). A new state-of-the art wing opened here in 2014 at a cost of $247 million. This wing has most of the features and services you would expect in a first-world hospital. You can sleep easily knowing that your medical needs can be very well taken care of on the island. Most medical conditions and emergencies are treated here, but patients requiring highly specialised treatment, such as heart surgery, are New Resident 2022
flown to top hospitals in the United States and Canada. Formal overseas partners include some of the very best hospitals in the United States such as Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, and, in the Boston area, the Lahey Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana Farber Institute, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, and the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. In order to receive specialised treatment at any overseas hospital, a patient has to be referred by his or her doctor. Hopefully, you will never have to be flown overseas for treatment, but if you do, you will be in the care of some of the top medical practitioners in North America.
What you will find, however, is that health care in Bermuda is one of the most expensive in the world. A Bermuda Health Council report from 2014 shows that among OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries, only the United States has a higher cost per capita for health insurance than Bermuda. Bermuda has no equivalent to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service. Instead, every employee must have health insurance. Employers usually pay 50% of the employee’s health insurance, but some pay more as part of the benefits package. It would be difficult to put a cost on how much a single employee could expect to pay, as health insurance plans vary from company to company. But a new employee could expect the cost to be around $1,000 or more per month typically (but not always) shared 50/50 with your employer. If you have a spouse and/or children, they can be added to your health plan. That cost could be as much as $2,500 per month. Health plans often include medical, dental, and optical. You are not free to shop around for your health insurance — you have to enroll with the plan offered by your company. But you are allowed to choose which general practitioner (GP) to see for your health concerns. A doctor’s visit can run anywhere from $80 to $150, depending upon the physician. If your plan does not cover the total cost of a doctor’s visit, and you are being cost-conscious, the insurer can help you choose one with a lower cost. Many plans cover up to 80% of the expense for prescriptions, but you can expect to pay something when you see the pharmacist. New employees can ask their company’s human resource director what their policy does and does not cover or to contact your insurer for that information Opticians and optometrists operate privately. Dental care is of a high standard— from orthodontic treatment to routine maintenance and cleaning. 53
