Healthcare

Stay Current with Your Screenings

While moving to a new location brings many changes, one thing that remains the same is the importance of early cancer detection for best outcomes. Now that you’re living in Bermuda, it’s important to maintain your regular cancer screenings.

Bermuda’s cancer screening guidelines follow the recommendations of the American Cancer Society due to similarities in our demographics and health statistics. Many screenings require a general practitioner as soon as you can. Once you’ve secured a main physician, talk to your doctor about the following recommended prevention vaccines and screenings: • HPV vaccine: recommended for boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 12 • Cervical cancer screening: regular pap screening and annual pelvic exam recommended for women ages 25+ • Breast cancer screening: annual mammogram recommended for women ages 40+ • Prostate cancer screening: annual DREs and PSA if indicated recommended for men ages 50+

(45+ if Black or with family history) • Endometrial cancer: information about risks and symptoms to be provided to women at the time of menopause • Lung cancer screening: lowdose CT scan recommended for people between 50 and 80 years old in fairly good health who also currently smoke or have quit smoking in the past 15 years and have at least a 20 pack-year smoking history (for example, 2 packs per day for 10 years or 1 pack per day for 20 years)

Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre is one of Bermuda’s oldest been providing cancer care for received international accreditation in 1999. The Canadian Association of Radiologists Mammography Accreditation Program (CAR-MAP) has recently reaccredited their mammography services. In addition to breast diagnostic services using mammography and ultrasound, Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre’s diagnostic imaging department also provides prostate biopsy and bone densitometry.

With the opening of its radiation therapy unit in 2017, Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre became College of Radiology (ACR) accredited radiation therapy facility. Its radiation therapy alliance with Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Centre provides local access to internationally renowned medical professionals and a wealth of information about the latest cancer research and techniques.

As a registered charity, Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre subsidises its services with donations from the community. Donations into the Equal Access Fund enable patients to receive diagnostic services and radiation therapy without a co-pay, regardless of their insurance status.

With the exception of annual mammograms for women ages 40+, Cancer and Health Centre require a doctor’s referral. Please talk to your doctor about your referral options.

For more information about Bermuda’s cancer screening guidelines and available diagnostic imaging services, please visit chc.bm.

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?”

The good news is that the standard of health care here is high. All doctors and dentists 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

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 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 for treatment, but if you do, you will be in the care of some of the top medical practitioners in North America. is that health care in Bermuda is one of the most expensive in the world. A Bermuda Health Council report 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.

Even though Bermuda is a British Overseas Dependent Territory, it 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 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 $1,200 or more per month. However, this is 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, for an additional payment.

Most medical conditions and emergencies can be successfully treated at the KEMH The new $247 million wing at the KEMH

Dental care is of a very high standard

Health plans often include medical, dental, and optical.

You are not free to shop around for your health insurance — you by your company. But you are allowed to choose which general practitioner (GP) to see for your health concerns.

The health insurance companies are a good resource in helping choose the right doctor for you. 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. It is perfectly acceptable to “shop

New employees can ask their company’s human resource director what their policy does and does not cover or to contact your health insurer for that information.

Prescriptions are another add-on cost. Many plans cover up to 80% of the expense for prescriptions, but you can expect to pay something when you see the pharmacist.

Opticians and optometrists operate privately, and there are resident eye surgeons on the island.

Dental care is of a high standard— from orthodontic treatment to routine maintenance and cleaning.