Healthcare in Barbados
 

Hi all
Its a while since Ive been on this site. Hello again to you all.
My husband and I now have dual nationality - UK/Barbadian so we are free to come and go as we please, to work and so on. We are planning to move permanently to the Island in around one year - early 2020. We are wondering how the healthcare system works. Do we need private insurance? As my husband is diabetic, he is on permanent medication - is this going to cost us a fortune or does the government provide free medication when one has a life long illness such as diabetes?
We would like to live in the Speightstown area and will rent initially. We wonder whether anyone can recommend an estate agent? We are not rich, just ordinary working people so we are not interested in anything really expensive!
We have lots of other practical questions and wonder whether there is any kind of 'advice centre' for expats?
We are in Barbados now for Christmas 2018, and return to UK on 27th December.
Looking forward to hearing from you
Sue

Re: Healthcare in Barbados
 

HEY!!!.. and CONGRATS!!!!.. Makes life a bit easier to come and go.
,
Here is the best I can tell you about healthcare. Both my husband and I no longer work with in the general realm of work in Barbados. in the days that we did, we had health care with the companies we worked for. I was actually denied health care in 2016 while working for a company, based on height and weight and age.. even though my Doctor, who has been my doctor for about 10 years had given me a clean bill of health. Anyway. if you are NOT working, then you would need private insurance. There are some medications that are on the formulary that allow for free or discounted medications. you would need to talk to your doctor about those... in all my years of living here, I have maybe gotten free meds once or twice. I know children under a certain age due, but.. they have to have their Barbados ID to get it.. (which is silly because those ID's have no photo on them..)..

Re: Healthcare in Barbados
 

Thanks for the information. Ill look into it a bit more. If anyone can recommend a private health insurance company, please let me know, particularly if anyone has experience with life long conditions such as diabetes.
Sue

Re: Healthcare in Barbados
 

Good morning,
We are both 50 somethings who are fortunate to be able to live here permanently now. We are both Brits so have no rights here regarding medical services. Part of the criteria to obtain the relevant visa was health insurance. We approached Lynch Brokers (on a local recommendation) and are now insured with Sagicor for health matters. We pay upfront and then submit a claim form according to our policy. No problems so far, and my husband has hypertension so needs meds for that daily.
Regarding an estate agent (or realtor as they are called here), we used Rosemary Inniss from CIP Caribbean CONTACT US - Caribbean Island Properties. Like you, we are just ordinary people (not rich) and now live in a beautiful house in St Philip that she found for us. We couldn't fault her service and remain in touch with her now. We moved here last year. They also do short term rentals which may be of help.
Good luck.
BTW - this is the expat advice centre!!
Julie

Re: Healthcare in Barbados
 

Julesdoopydoo As you are in your 50's and have the right to live on the Island, therefore I assume, have I D cards, have you thought of joining BARP and making joining their medical scheme ?
Joining BARP is well worthwhile anyway if only for the discounts you get on so many things right across the board, from car parts and prescriptions to clothes and restaurants.