How does healthcare work in North America, and what travel insurance, health insurance or expat insurance do you need?

What is the quality of healthcare in North America?

In North America, the quality of healthcare is generally good, but accessibility varies greatly by country.
While healthcare in Canada and the United States is generally easy to access, this is a completely different story in Greenland.
In Greenland, there is only a large hospital in the capital. In other parts of the country, it can take a long time before you have access to care.
In the US and Canada, pharmacies can be found everywhere and medicines are generally in stock. In Greenland, medicines are sometimes scarce and you can only find pharmacies at hospitals or health centres.
In the US and Canada, the emergency number is 911. In Greenland, it is 112.

The quality of public healthcare is good in North America.
In Greenland, as a resident, you are entitled to free public healthcare and medicines. This is different in the US and Canada.
In Canada, residents, and sometimes expats with a work permit, have access to Medicare. Medicare provides coverage for certain types of care, which varies by province. For certain services such as dental care and physiotherapy, an additional payment must be made or private insurance must be taken out.
In the US, Medicare and Medicaid provide coverage for health care, but expats are usually not eligible for this.
In general, the waiting times for public care in the US and Canada are quite long. The costs are also quite high.

While the private sector is large in the US and Canada, it is very small in Greenland.
In Canada, private care is mainly good for care that is not covered by Medicare, or for people who do not qualify for it.
In the US, three-quarters of hospitals are privately owned. Private care is the norm here.
In Greenland, there is therefore little private care and most people choose to go abroad for specialized treatments.
The costs of private care are very high.

In North America, general practitioners are the gatekeepers of the health care system. The family doctor is the first point of contact and you usually need a referral from your family doctor to see a specialist.
In Greenland, nurses and paramedics often play the role of family doctor in remote areas.
In Canada, it can be difficult to visit a family doctor in some places. As a result, many Canadians go straight to the emergency room, even if they only have the flu.

The quality of oral care is good in North America.
In Canada and the US, the costs of oral care are generally high. In Greenland, this is partly free.
In the US and Canada, there are many private dental practices, in Greenland private dentists are hard to find.

The quality of maternity care is good in all three countries, but there are differences in accessibility.
All necessary tests are carried out in all three countries. In the US and Canada, this is possible almost everywhere, in Greenland extensive maternity care is only available in Nuuk.
The costs of childbirth and caesarean section are very high in the US. In Canada, maternity care is covered by Medicare, and in Greenland, care is also largely free.

Greenland and Canada are very safe to live in when it comes to crime. The US is less so.
In Greenland, the safety risks are mainly about the extreme climate, in Canada it is safe to live and there are some nature-related risks depending on where you are, and in the US there are more risks in terms of crime and weapon use.

There are few health risks in North America.
Tap water is generally drinkable and food hygiene is good.
The health risks that do exist are mainly related to the weather conditions, so heat and cold.
Tick bites also pose a risk.

In the US and Canada, a car is almost necessary if you live there. In Greenland, people use boats, planes and snowmobiles more.
The roads are good and the traffic rules are clear and strict.

In Canada and Greenland, you may be entitled to free or low-cost healthcare, provided you meet certain requirements and stay for a longer period. If not, good international health insurance is required to cover the high healthcare costs. In the US, good health insurance is a must anyway, because otherwise you might just go bankrupt.
Make sure your insurance covers medical evacuation as well as coverage in neighboring countries.
International health insurance for North America
International travel insurance for North America
International life insurance for North America
International income protection insurance for North America

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