You will have to purchase health insurance when in Cuba

torana
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You will have to purchase health insurance when in Cuba
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Beginning May 1, all tourists, foreigners with temporary residence permits, and Cubans who live outside the island will have to carry medical insurance, in case they become ill, the Official Gazette announced this week. The Cuban News Agency reported the news Saturday.

Diplomats and representatives of international organizations accredited by Cuba are exempt from this requirement.

If the travelers don't have medical insurance from foreign insurance companies "recognized by Cuba," they can buy it at the airport or port of arrival from a Cuban insurance company.

The Council did not specify the cost of such an option but empowered the Ministry of Finance to set a price. It also directed the ministries of Public Health and Tourism to set new regulations for the medical care given to visitors.

Tourism is a major provider of hard currency to Havana. Last year, 2.4 million tourists arrived on the island, as well as about 300,000 Cubans who live abroad.

Brampton, Canada
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1. Re: You will have to purchase health insurance when in Cuba
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That should make for some interesting line ups and delays at the airports.

Rehoboth Beach...
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2. Re: You will have to purchase health insurance when in Cuba
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So I guess all of the Americans who go to Canada or Mexico then onto Cuba will be the ones who do not carry insurance "recognized by the government"?

Interesting....I wonder how many tourist or non residents actually use the medical system in Cuba.

Do any of the Cuba Experts have any insight into this stat?

Nova Scotia, Canada
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Interesting, but not surprising given Cuba’s financial state. Cuba is pretty cash strapped and if they sell even 100,000 tourists insurance through Amistur at 50CUC each … that’s a quick 5 million in cold hard cash.

Brampton, Canada
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4. Re: You will have to purchase health insurance when in Cuba
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Can you post a link to the original news story?

Nova Scotia, Canada
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http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N06109809.htm

New Brunswick...
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Will be very interesting to see who the "foreign companies approved by Cuba" are .....

Mississauga, Canada
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No doubt all the vacation co.'s that currently fly into Cuba and already offer ins. will be first in line to spread some of the cash around.

LENNY

Newton Aycliffe...
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for Cuba, Rafael Freyre, Guardalavaca, Holguin
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8. Re: You will have to purchase health insurance when in Cuba
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How do they propose to implement this and carry out checks?

Edited: 10 years ago
Worthing, United...
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You're mad if you don't take out adequate insurance before you leave home, and we always do, but to find that it's unacceptable to Cuba on arrival means a potentially large arrival tax. Who's going to decide if you have acceptable cover? The person at immigation presumeably. I can see this opening up another way of scamming the innocent tourist.

An on-line quote for medical cover from Assistur, the Cuban travel assistance company, worked out to be 148 CUC each!!! That quote was solely based on age, what if you have existing medical conditions? Will this insurance cover these or will you be subject to further premiums? This will be one to watch....

Mississauga, Canada
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10. Re: You will have to purchase health insurance when in Cuba
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It's very doubtful that this will be in place by May , it is Cuba afterall.

LENNY

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