5 Best Health and Insurance Tips for Macau

Macau is one of the most modern cities in Asia and with that comes a relatively higher quality of health and insurance services compared to other countries in Asia. Macau has a very accessible single-payer healthcare system provided by the government. However, there is a bit of a shortage when it comes to western medicine specialists in Macau. Because of this, most medical treatments are sought abroad. There are a few more ways to make sure you’re getting the best health information and health protection for you and your family when you move to Macau. Check all the helpful tips for health and insurance for yourself and your loved ones below.

1. Identify your health and protection needs early

There are no major health risks for Macau. According to the CDC Health Information for Macau page, any travellers to Macau should simply have routine vaccines, and the only two major health concern are Hepatitis A and Typhoid. Nevertheless, you should assess your own health and protection needs. Before heading off, ask yourself these questions:

• Would I need regular medical care?
• Would I have insurance to cover for regular or emergency medical care?
• Is my family covered for regular or emergency medical care?
• Where can I get the best medical care and medical insurance coverage?

Once you’ve identified your need, it would make it so much easier for you to get the proper coverage and have the proper information.

2. Check your employment contract for coverage

While getting health insurance coverage will not be very difficult in Macau, it’s best if you check if you are already covered by your company. Most companies provide the health care of their employees as part of their relocation package when sending them abroad. It is very important that you talk to the Human Resource department to know about the full coverage of your policy. It would also be useful to check if you can get coverage for dependents for your family and up to what kind of coverage your company can provide. Once you’ve figured out what you have or what you don’t have when it comes to health insurance coverage, you can then explore options if you need additional plans.

3. Learn about the local healthcare system

As we’ve mentioned earlier, Macau’s health bureau operates an accessible single-payer healthcare system funded by the government. As the country is quite small, there is only one public hospital in Macau, Hospital Conde S. Januario. One of the main things you should know as an expat in Macau is that there is a scarcity when it comes to western medical experts in the country. If there are any urgent requirements for specialist treatments, patients are usually sent to Hong Kong for treatment.

Expats in the country can get public healthcare for free. Macau has established the Sound Primary Healthcare Networks with seven health care centres and three health stations that provide free health services around Macau. This is primarily the start of the World Health Organization’s “Health For All” campaign. Some of the free services you can get in these free health centres are:

• Vaccinations
• Family planning
• Prenatal care
• Children’s healthcare
• Adult healthcare
• Oral healthcare
• Traditional Chinese Medicine services
• Mental care
• Quit-smoking consultation

While the public healthcare system in Macau is considered advanced compared to other Asian countries, it still has a lot of room for improvement, which is why the government devoted MOP 5.8 Billion in 2015 for the improvement of healthcare services and facilities in the country.

4. Get international health insurance

This may sound like it’s just a selling point, but actually, expats in Macau really do need international health insurance even for a simple coverage. We’ve mentioned in this article that western medicine specialists are a bit rare in Macau, and in some cases, for specialist treatments, patients would have to be sent to Hong Kong. Now, while Hong Kong is not very far from Macau, the medical costs of treatment in Hong Kong is far more expensive than it is in Macau. In these situations, you would need international health coverage, especially for a specialist care for things like oncology, cardiology, and even eye care specialist treatments.

5. Know the best medical care providers and health insurance companies

If your product search drives you to buy from local insurance providers, you should also make sure that your insurance company is approved and registered with the Monetary Authority of Macau (AMCM). If you have any complaints or concerns in times that your company is not complying with the agreement stated in your insurance, you can contact the Insurance Supervision Department of AMCM. One of the biggest state-owned health, life and financial care provider in the region is the China Life Insurance Company. There are also several companies like the AIG Insurance Hong Kong Limited that offers general insurance which includes travel, home and business.

The two best private hospitals in Macau are:

• Kiang Wu Hospital

Kiang Wu has the best medical facilities in the country, including the very few specialist care treatment centres. However, as this is a private hospital, medical costs can be very expensive without a proper health insurance coverage.

• Macau University of Science & Technology Hospital

Locally known as the University Hospital, this hospital acts as a medical hospital and a medical school. They do not, however, have western medical school. In fact, there is no Western-style medical school in Macau. People who want to study Western medicine would have to leave the country to pursue this. The University Hospital offers all medical treatments with a few western specialist treatments, and it is not as expensive as the Kiang Wu Hospital.