Questions about both the availability and quality of healthcare in Belize are some of the most frequent inquires in the online groups and forums dedicated to living in Belize. Healthcare options appear to be a fairly high priority for many who are considering making a permanent move, and this seems to be particularly true for retirees.
While the availability and quality of healthcare in Belize have improved in recent years, there are still some areas which may of be concern to those who are interested in living in Belize.
How is the healthcare system organized in Belize?
In Belize, the national government, through the Ministry of Health and Wellness, operates hospitals or polyclinics in each major town in Belize, and there are also many smaller clinics in villages and smaller towns.
The primary public referral hospital in Belize is the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) in Belize City. While it is considered the national referral hospital, it does not meet the international designation as a level-one trauma center.
KHMH description:
The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital is the national referral center for the country of Belize. That means that we are a specialized medical facility that serves as a central point for referring patients with complex or rare medical conditions to experts in specific fields. The KHMH has advanced resources, specialized expertise, and a network of healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care for patients with challenging health issues. We also double as the regional hospital for the Belize district.
We are managed by an Authority and have been offering services to the public since September 1995. Our staff is 700 persons strong offering the highest level of tertiary healthcare 24/7 within the country of Belize.
Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital
There are also several private hospitals in Belize, the two largest are located in Belize City: Belize Medical Associates, and Belize Healthcare Partners. A new private facility, Ambergris Hope Hospital, has also recently opened in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. And finally, in northern Belize, Orange Walk town has the Northern Medical Specialty Plaza, which is a small, private hospital, located near the public Northern Regional Hospital.
In addition, in the capital city of Belmopan, there are three small private hospitals, with one private hospital also in the Cayo district.
Both from personal experience and from conversations with many expats and Belizeans, I believe that anyone who has the means to do so generally opts for a private hospital or clinic over the public options, as they are perceived to provide better care, have a better physician-to-patient ratio, and the private facilities often have more advanced diagnostic equipment and the specialists needed to conduct advanced diagnostic tests.
What does the public healthcare system do in Belize?
Like for many other aspects of the government and the economy of Belize, the small population of around just 420,000 determines much of what both private and public entities are able to do in Belize in the healthcare sector. On its own, the country simply does not have the resources to build the public, or even the private, medical infrastructure which one finds in North America.
The public healthcare system in Belize provides the vast majority of care in the country, as most Belizeans can not afford to access private healthcare. This means that the public system is often very under-resourced.
For example, for over two years, the primary referral hospital in the country, KHMH, did not have a functioning MRI machine; thus, people were sent away to one of the private hospitals in Belize City for the required imaging, and if they could not afford to pay for it, they would often simply have to do without this very important diagnostic tool while dealing with a severe injury or illness.
While many Belizeans are successfully treated for common ailments at the polyclinics and public hospitals throughout the country, there are, at times, reports of the clinics being woefully understaffed and short of basic medical supplies.
Recently, a number of countries, and particularly Taiwan, has donated or pledged a good deal of money to Belize to assist with updating existing public medical facilities nationwide.
In San Pedro, on Ambergris Caye, the Taiwanese government has also pledged $16.6 million USD to build a new public hospital on the island. And, the government of Belize has signed a development loan agreement for $44 million USD with the government of Saudi Arabia with plans to build a new university hospital to be attached to the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Belize in Belmopan.
Late in 2023, the government of Belize Ministry of Health announced that most public health facilities in Belize would no longer charge patients for treatment:
The Government of Belize has approved the removal of all fees charged in public hospitals, a pivotal decision aimed at ensuring universal access to quality healthcare. This move eliminates financial barriers and enhances healthcare accessibility for all citizens, particularly low-income families.
It is important to note that the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital is not included in this initiative as its needs will be evaluated separately; however, the government remains committed to ensuring quality healthcare access for all Belizeans.
The removal of fees in public hospitals aligns with the government’s goal of achieving universal health coverage and health equity. Furthermore, this landmark decision sets an example for other nations and demonstrates Belize’s dedication to fulfilling its social responsibility. Through this initiative, government expects to improve public health and enhance economic productivity.
The Government of Belize remains committed to the well-being of its citizens and will continue implementing measures that promote a healthier, more equitable Belize.
Belize Ministry of Health
It is interesting to note that the primary referral hospital, KHMH, was excluded from the removal of fees for treatment in public facilities, and it will also be interesting to see how the government sets policy for fees at the two new public hospitals in Belmopan and San Pedro when they are complete.
The most recent development in the pubic sector of the healthcare system in Belize is that the National Health Insurance is now enrolling private doctors and clinics in the system as primary care providers so that Belizeans will have greater access to participating private clinics, labs, and pharmacies.
How good is routine healthcare in Belize?
Both from personal experience and from the experiences of many expats I have either spoken with, or whose descriptions of their routine physician’s visits I have read, this is the strongest sector of the healthcare system in Belize.
There are many competent general practitioners here in Belize, and doctor’s visits for common illnesses are quite inexpensive. In San Pedro, I visited several doctors and was treated for a number of fairly simple ailments, including a parasitic infection, and during my visits, the doctors generally spent at least 30 minutes with me, were not in a huge rush, and answered all of my questions.
At a private clinic or doctor’s office, my average cost for a visit to a general practitioner in San Pedro was between $30-35 USD. I also visited a specialist, an EMT, at Healthcare Partners Hospital in Belize City, and I think that the examination and consultation fee was around $65-70 USD. While most common prescription medications are also reasonably priced, some medications can be quite expensive.
If you are planning to move to Belize and rely on any specialty medication, it is a good idea to contact a few local drugstores in the area to which you intend to move to find out if they have the medication, or if they can get it for you, and don’t forget to ask about the price. I have read that some folks have been unable to source some specialty medications and have had to schedule trips to Mexico or back to North America to get their medications.
For routine healthcare, while many Belizeans are treated for common ailments in the public sector polyclinics, and they no longer have to pay for services in these clinics, most expats are far more likely to visit a private clinic. I have also met a number of Belizeans who always opt for private care if they are able to afford it.
Can I use Medicare in Belize?
With many US citizens looking to Belize as a potential retirement location, inquiries about using Medicare in Belize are quite common. According to the US Embassy Belize website:
SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE, MEDICAID AND THE VETERAN’S ADMINISTRATION DO NOT PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR HOSPITAL OR MEDICAL COSTS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.
US Embassy Belmopan, Belize
While one can not use Medicare in Belize, many expats here plan yearly trips back to the US to visit family, and during these annual trips, they schedule any medical appointments which they feel that they need so that they can take advantage of their Medicare coverage while in the US.
What does the private healthcare system do in Belize?
Some expats have, of course, been treated at public polyclinics or hospitals in Belize; however, I believe that the vast majority of expats living in Belize tend to go private doctor’s offices or hospital facilities when they seek medical care.
As was mentioned above, the two largest private hospitals in the country are located in Belize City: Belize Medical Associates, and Belize Healthcare Partners. These are the hospitals which many expats use when they need more complex diagnostic or surgical procedures.
Because of the large number of expats living on the island, many folks are likely now also using the new private facility, Ambergris Hope Hospital, which recently opened in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye.
I have had experiences with a number of the private hospitals here in Belize, and to give an idea of the services and costs involved, I will share one of these adventures here.
First, while living in San Pedro with my wife, we used to walk the seafront early every morning, and we would do part of our walk along a section of seawall. One day, in August 2021, while walking on the seawall, my wife turned around to wave hello to a friend, and she fell off of the wall. We both immediately knew that she had fractured her wrist.
The friend we had waved to had a cell phone with her, and she immediately called Triple R, Rickilee Response and Rescue (RRR), a volunteer organization created to assist Ambergris Caye in emergency response and rescue.
The Triple R guys arrived in ten minutes or so, and they transported my wife to Ambergris Hope Clinic (now the location of the brand new Ambergris Hope Hospital). Triple R does not charge for their services. San Pedro now also has a private ambulance service, Island Emergency Services, with a licensed EMT, but one does need to pay for this service.
At the clinic, Dr. Dan administered pain medication, took an Xray, and then immobilized the injury. He knew immediately that the wrist was broken, so he called an Orthopedic Surgeon at Belize Medical Associates Hospital, and told him to expect us as soon as we could get a flight.
We took a normal flight over to Belize Municipal Airport, and then a short taxi ride to the hospital. We waited a short while to see the Orthopedic Surgeon, and after he looked at the Xrays and consulted with us, he sent Tina to admitting, and he told us that he would perform the surgery that afternoon.
When we were in admitting, while the nurses were asking some questions and taking vitals, I was presented with an estimate for the surgery and overnight stay in the hospital. I was asked to give them a credit card to process for the estimated cost.
Tina went to surgery in the late afternoon, and a nurse was stationed in her room with a monitor for an hour or two after surgery. Surprisingly, for me at least, both before and after surgery, the Anesthesiologist visited her in the room to check on her and to ask if she had any questions.
The Orthopedic Surgeon came back the next morning to check things out and said he would look at her again right after lunch, and then release her if all was well. We left the hospital in the early afternoon and flew back home to San Pedro.
The surgeon gave us his personal cell number to schedule a follow-up in San Pedro, as he said he visited the island regularly to see patients. And I could not believe it when he offered to come to our house for the first follow-up so that Tina would not need to ride on the bumpy roads in a golf cart just a few days post surgery!
The total cost of the accident, including medical treatment at the clinic in San Pedro, the surgery and overnight stay in the hospital, and the flights and taxi rides required for transportation was about $3500 USD.
Interestingly, after I moved to Corozal, my neighbor fell and fractured her right wrist as well. Since her husband was in the US, I took her to a local clinic here in Corozal, and the procedure was identical to what happened with my wife in San Pedro, the local clinic administered pain medication, immobilized the wrist, took Xrays, and referred her to an Orthopedic Surgeon at the Northern Medical Specialty Plaza in Orange Walk.
My neighbor met with the Orthopedic Surgeon in Orange Walk, and fortunately, he was able to perform the closed reduction surgery that afternoon with a local anesthetic, so she did not need to be admitted to the hospital.
I do not know the exact cost of the procedure, but without the need to be admitted, no overnight stay, or flights involved, I would guess that it was less than half of what it cost for Tina’s procedure.
I don’t tell a lot of long personal stories on Belize FAQs, but I thought these experiences might be helpful by giving some real world examples of hospital treatment and costs here.
What if I have am diagnosed with a complex disease or condition in Belize?
Many expats in Belize, as well as Belizeans with the means to do so, often leave the country to seek treatment which requires complicated procedures. While the healthcare system in Belize continues to improve, there is still a lack of trained medical personnel in many specialties, both physicians and surgeons, and the specialists trained to operate specialty diagnostic equipment.
As mentioned earlier, many US citizens return to the US so that they are able to access Medicare if they are retirees. However, both expats and Belizeans often also travel to Mexico for access to high-quality care with a large number of specialists, at a much lower cost than in the US.
Merida, in particular, is a charming Mexican town, which has a reputation for both high-quality medical facilities and reasonably-priced accommodation. When the Tren Maya is complete, for those who do not want to drive in Mexico, there will be fast, convenient transportation from the northern border town of Chetumal to Merida.
Can I get health insurance to use in Belize?
Some expats purchase international health insurance plans for coverage in Belize, and from both what I have heard from expats and quotes I received when I first contemplated moving to Belize, these policies can be quite expensive. Two companies which appear to be popular for expats are Cigna and Sagicor.
I have also heard from folks who have purchased high-deductible, international insurance policies which include air ambulance transport in case of a serious event which could not be treated in Belize; these policies don’t provide much value in terms of standard medical care, but they do pay for extremely expensive emergency air transport if required.
Also, with the expansion of the National Health Insurance program in Belize, it appears that foreign nationals, who are Permanent Residents in Belize and live in regions where the National Health Insurance has launched, may enroll in the program. In order to enroll in the National Health Insurance program, one must first obtain a Belize Social Security card. In order to get a Belize Social Security card, one must go to the local Social Security Office.
As a Permanent Resident, to apply for a Belize Social Security card, you will need the following:
Primary Documents:
- Birth Certificate OR Adoption Certificate. AND
- Belize Permanent Residence Card; OR
- Passport from country of origin or naturalized country with Belize Permanent Residence stamp affixed on one of the passport pages.
Note: An expired passport with Belize Permanent Residence stamp affixed is also acceptable.
Belize Social Security Board
After a Permanent Resident obtains a Social Security card, they can then apply to be a member of the National Health Insurance Program. As a Permanent Resident, one needs to do the following to enroll in the program (This example is for the northern Belize region):
Once you have a valid Social Security card, and your address has been validated by the Corozal Social Security Branch Office, you and all your family members will have to register with an NHI Primary Care Provider (PCP) clinic.
The requirements for proof of address for the validation of registered head of household and all family members living at the same address is:
- Utility Bill in name of head of household or J.P. Declaration of place of residence with $1.50 stamp
- J.P. Declaration of all family members living at same residence with $1.50 stamp must include each family member by name, their social security number and date of birth
There are two available clinics in Zone 1 of the Corozal District. These are Presbyterian Medical Clinic in Patchakan and the Corozal Primary Care Provider in Corozal Town. You need to register with the one nearest to where you live.
To register with the clinic, simply take you and your family’s individual Social Security cards to the clinic you are assigned to. They will help you register with them.
Once this is complete, you and your family members can all access health care when needed.
Once you have registered with a clinic, you must go to the same clinic when you need medical attention.
Belize National Health Insurance Website
Recently, the National Health Insurance Program has been enrolling more healthcare providers, so currently there are a few more options to those mentioned above in Corozal.
While there are a number of health insurance alternatives listed here, the majority of expats with whom I have spoken pay out-of-pocket for medical expenses here, and the US retirees tend to supplement this care with trips to the US to access treatment covered under Medicare.
Final Thoughts on Healthcare in Belize
Healthcare in Belize, like in any other country, is a complex topic, and I realize that I have only scratched the surface here. However, I think that we can summarize a few basic facts about the healthcare system.
First, there are some really competent general practitioners in Belize, and quality, routine healthcare is both accessible and affordable here. Next, the healthcare system in Belize continues to improve with new hospitals and equipment coming online.
While the public healthcare system treats the majority of people in Belize, most expats and Belizeans who can afford to do so use the private system. Belize does not have a level one trauma center, but the private hospitals, in particular, are equipped and staffed for common surgeries and other treatments.
For more complicated procedures, many expats, and some Belizeans, leave the country to seek treatment. US retirees often return to the US for access to Medicare coverage for complex treatments, and others travel to places like Merida, Mexico for quality, lower-cost surgery, and other procedures.
During my time in Belize, one of the most common reasons that I have heard for people choosing to leave the country and return to North America has been to regularly access quality healthcare for a complex medical problem.