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Health Insurance

Health Insurance

There's NO equivalent to a National Health Service in the TRNC. All Medical and Dental treatments are at the cost of the patient and charges vary from one practitioner to another. Doctors and Dentists issue prescriptions, but these are payable at cost by the patient. If you're receiving a regular prescription take care to check the availability and cost of any medicines you may require.

There's plenty of good doctors, dentists and hospitals, both state and private, in the TRNC, along with other health professionals. The standard of care is generally good to excellent, but it is different. In case of emergency there’s a good ambulance service, thanks to the hard work and dedication of volunteers and professionals. The number to ring for an ambulance is 112. Be aware there’s no post code generated satellite navigation system, nor freely available street maps, so you may need a friend to meet with the ambulance and guide it to you, if you're not near to a well-known location. Many minor injuries are treated quickly and without cost in the emergency room of the state hospitals.​

It’s local practice that the first port of call during an illness is the local pharmacist, who provides free advice, or will recommend a visit to a doctor. There’s not a wide spread 'General Practitioner' system, although Kamiloglu Hospital (also known as Kyrenia Medical Center) in Girne is introducing the service and a GPS ambulance system for registered patients. If you have a known particular ailment, you can go directly to a consultant for that condition. You’ll be expected to look after your own X Rays, MRI Scans etc. Most hospitals have a range of specialists. If admitted to hospital it’s usual for a carer to be present to help the patient get to the toilet etc and to provide additional needs. In State owned hospitals, it’s also usual for the carer to obtain required drugs from a nearby pharmacy. There are numerous dental surgeries, many of which have ultra-modern equipment.

Health insurance
Covers the cost of medical and surgical expenses. Depending on coverage, you pay then claim it back, or the insurance company pays direct, providing it’s a covered condition. Medical costs in many countries can be very expensive and there are many horror stories of ex-pats who’ve suffered serious illness, been unable to pay healthcare bills and had to sell their home, car or cash in life savings to make payments. There are also people who've had to give up their retirement or nice life to return to their home country because they can’t afford to live here with on-going medical bills. There's quite a number of health insurance plans available in Northern Cyprus from both local and overseas providers. Some of the local products may only cover up to a certain age so check them thoroughly. Cover provided and premiums payable will depend on age, type and extent of cover required and any pre-existing conditions, which is very important to declare at application stage. You should spend time and effort selecting a health insurer, understanding the benefits it offers, ensuring your agency knows the products well and can answer questions about the product and claims issues when they arise.

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