Cuba Imposes Insurance for Visitors

52 thoughts on “Cuba Imposes Insurance for Visitors”

• We travel on a budget. Was just about to book a trip and noticed there’s an extra $150. for insurance and it’s tax. Changed our minds. Guess we’re off to Mexico. It was sure nice going to Cuba. I wonder if anyone will miss our money? (We travel cheap – make up for it in tips!). Sure hope they take away this cash cow.

• i already search this all topic and i will stand on what i says it is the very good idea i ver heard hope it will implement in other country as well.thanks guys.

• Nothing is for free in this world. Health Insurance is a must, and if you have/can proof of Insurance coverage, than I think you have “no problem”. This seems to me, as other Problems, an issue which has to be solved by the Cuban Government and American Government, because it is illegal for most American Passport holder to travel to the Island, and therefore the American Insurance can, or will not, pay for treatment rendered in Cuba. Legal travellers from USA (Passport Holders), in my Opinion, are covered. In my environment, my Health Insurance package is over $ 10.000.00 per year, and I have also Medicare, and I am a Dual Citizen with other coverage in my favor. Under no circumstances I wish to be a burden to the Cuban people, in any event, and have no axt to grind. See you in two months in Havana (30 Minutes from Miami Airport to Havana domestic Airport), if I find a cheap and decent privat place in Havana, near the Russean Chruch. In my Opinion, if you are not able to pay your Vacation, stay Home!! email: [email protected],
  Thanks Hans

• I have spent seven of the last thirteen years living in Cuba and have been going there for twenty five years.I have spent time in the hospital and paid cash and never felt that i was being ripped off.In may of this year i was asked for proof of insurance and showed them my OHIP card,there was no problem..This is just like most other things i read about Cuba,many people giving an opinion on something they know nothing about,or they have a political agenda.

• the medical insurance requirement needed to travel to cuba can be bought in canada or any other country for that matter.My question is how is that a cash grab for cuba??Anybody travelling to any foreign country without some kind of medical insurance is gambling big time.Having been to that island about 50 times I have seen many many tourists injured there and needing medical treatment.If they can afford the trip but not insurance they should try going south of the border and winding up in ER…..then they’d get a good idea why its needed.If you can’t afford the insurance… maybe they shouldn’t be travelling at all.

• I have just returned to Canada from one week in Habana. Upon arrival no one asked me anything about my health insurance, which i do have anyways. My friend arrived the day before me and is staying 4 months and he was not asked either. Though it is possible that Cuba might require tourists to have insurance in the future but as of May 20th for Canadians it was a non issue.

  I tend to agree with Terry that this is more aimed at the Americans. Who i believe should also be required to pay an ecological disaster tax due to the mess their government has created in the gulf, which has Cuba very worried.

• (Of course it’s up to you to confirm your insurance company extends coverage to Cuba and whether its coverage is sufficient for your travel needs. In this day and age most people naturally carry supplemental coverage so all possible emergencies will be handled.)

  4.) Thus far enforcement at all points of entry into Cuba has been almost ZERO for non American travellers. If you’re one of the very few non American passengers who gets asked to provide proof of insurance you simply show your documentation and you’re on your way immediately, no big deal. If you reside in the US then you’re directed to the kiosk selling official Cuban government Asistur Insurance. It costs about 3 CUC per day for the length of your stay.

  Tranquilo…

  Cheers,
  Terry

• Here’s the situation as it stands right now:

  1.) As predicted right from the beginning this entire insurance fiasco is basically a non-issue for most tourists. The new regulation is simply a cash grab aimed directly at Cuban Americans and American tourists, that’s all.

  2.) The Cuban government has not issued a “List” of accepted foreign insurance companies. There has never been such a “List.” I wish this myth would die.

  3.) Any proof of health insurance (even a relatively useless Provincial Health Card from Canada) is technically all you require to satisfy Cuban Immigration. That said, use the same common sense you would dealing with any bureaucracy – especially a Cuban one – and bring a cover letter and/or documentation proving you have insurance and that it extends to Cuba. Most insurance companies are up to speed now and already have these letters in place, no big deal.

• I booked a trip to Cuba without knowledge of the new regulation (approx. 1 or 2 days after it was passed).If I were to turn back time, I would not have booked it.So far, I have not yet seen any clear details regarding which insurance companies are recognized,what kind of services the Cuban insurance will be covering and how much it will really cost.Right now it feels as if the Cuban trip (that was supposed to be relaxing) just became a little frustrating and frankly, annoying. It seems that many Canadians traveling to Cuba (these days) are feeling a little lost.I think that when government pass new regulations, they should have the details worked out beforehand.My hunch is that Cuban tourism will suffer now more than ever until travelers are provided with more information.Travelers (esp. w/no insurance or have small budgets) are more afraid or hesitant to book trips to Cuba since they are not exactly certain how deep they had to reach into their pockets. INFORMATION is key.

• I too have travelled to Cuba a number of times and just returned from Cayo Coco this week. News like this has already put a damper on any future travel to this amazing and beautiful country. We choose Cuba (like most others) for the culture(music-dance), the people(warmth and friendliness), the awesome beaches, and the low cost of travel. We don’t complain about the bland tasting or terrible food as a good majority of travellers say! We just put up with it and say it is a small inconvenience for the good deal we got. It is reported that over 2.4 million visitors went to Cuba in 2009. Where does the departure tax @ (25 pesos/person) and the other travel package taxes go that run in the hundreds per booking? Just the departure tax alone = $60 000 000./ yr.! It doesn’t look like they are doing much infrastructure on schools, hospitals, roads, bridges or low income housing? Sorry to say it, but Cuba is shooting their number one industry in the foot!!!!!!

• So my Husband heard right about this, I was planning to go to Cuba again this Year but if the price of the insurance is going to be alot than maybe not. I know that if i did get sick I would just pay the clinic or hospital. I know there i could afford what they charge if I did have anything wrong as the Medical care is far more fair priced there. Now i may think about trying Costa Rica. I am sad about this as I really liked the people there and feel they are really the people that lose as i like to take items for them that are too pricey for them and give them away I took a whole suitcase last time. I noticed that the Hotel i stayed at before leaving charged a 50.00 airport improvment charge or something like that that i had no idea about untill the first Meeting. Has to make sure i did not spend it giving away tips and leave myself too short to pay the 50.00 US they were asking. I will miss the people.

• having already booked my trip to cuba in june i,m told medical insurance has the be recognised by the cuban authority,.,.,.,.,.my travel agency here in calgary told me that rbc insurance will be accepted.,,.,..,i went on line to a cuban insurance company who told me that rbc insurance is not accepted in cuba,.,.,.,.i went on line with rbc insurance who states that rbc insurance is what is used to travel to cuba,.,.,.,.,.which is correct???,..,,..,.,i,m sure by the time my trip is near we will know what is /not accepted

• For Canadians, you do not need extra insurance, proof of Canadian provincial health insurance is sufficient, See the government of Canada travel site for more info:
  http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=69000#4

  I personally wouldn’t travel without out-of-country medical, but you can find it pretty cheap. We pay about $100/year.

• I think Cuba is taking too much for granted and it must stop. I have car rental inurance on any car I rent all over the world and even in Cuba up until 5 years ago when they said you have to buy our Insurance minimum $15 per day, isn’t that discusting and direspectfull for the tourism to Cuba and now you want us to buy health insurance and I already have my Visa travel insurance along with wy work insurance and believe me they will say that is no good in Cuba. Please Cuba do yourself a favour and stop trying to cheat the tourists we are not Cubans and we are not in Jail like all of Cuba is. We can travel where we want in the world and we are not cheated of our money. If you put that into effect I promise your tourism will drop dramatically. Do your self a favour and do not take advantage of your tourists.

  Bill

• Ursula, I don’t know where you saw a price of $50 per day. While no official word is out so far, we’ve heard speculation of between US $2 and $7 per day. Hopefully a definitive answer is forthcoming.

• Finally the Cubans found a way to kill tourisme. The premium of $50.00 per day makes me and many Canadian retirees stay away from Cuba and find another holiday spot for the winter.I have been 64 times to Cuba.

• It’s a cash grab because everyone travels with health insurance. If I get sick, I pay there in Cuba and get repaid from my insurance company when back home. Nobody leaves the island without paying their bill. No tourists are getting free health care. Now with the their new idea, if the goverment chooses not to recognize my insurance company, then I’ll need to buy more. Guess what the Cuban government will want to certify my insurance company …. money. The Cuban government is having a huge debt problem, they needed to put off some payments to other countries. If you are forced to buy insurance there, guess who ownes the company. Its the Cuban government, who also take their cut of all hotels on the island. The Cuban government needs money badly, this is their latest idea to shake some coins out of those ATM tourists. The question is, will we accept this or move on. Maybe the Cuban government is forgetting unlike people there, we have a choice.

• Foreign visitors to Ontario are required to have coverage and we are a wealthy nation. When my aunt visited from England last year she had to go to an urgent care clinic, and she had to pay for the visit .
  This new regulation in Cuba is certainly not a cash grab.
  Rebeca you need to read the statement issued by the Cuban government. THEY DO NOT GET THE MONEY !! If you have travel insurance purchased on your country of origin ,all they get is repaid for their services which is more than fair . no one with an ounce of brains travels anywhere today without health coverage, not even to our closest neighbour to the south . Try getting seen at a U.S facility without insurance, they would watch you bleed to death first .( I know this from recent experience )
  . all they get is reimbursed for the excellent treatment you will receive . Why should it be at their expense, Cash grab ??? The HST is a cash grab !

• I guess it is like anything else. You must do what Cuba says or you don’t get into their Country. Take it or leave it!
  I have had medical treatment in Cuba.
  Five years ago I broke my arm while in Cuba. I was driven by taxi for 2 hours to the hospital, was xrayed , had a cast put on and was returned to my hotel by taxi. The total cost including the taxi was paid in cash and I submitted the entire charges which converted to $200.00 Canadian Dollars to my Insurance Company who promptly paid the entire bill.
  The medical attention that I received was excellent but the conditions of the hospital were appalling. No wonder they need to start charging.

• I will gladly pay the small amount for insurance as if I did get sick in Cuba it would cost the Cuban people a huge amount of money. All you people saying you paid cash, I doubt you realize the actual cost of your doctors visit. I know it was far more than you paid, it costs thousands of dollars for someone to just sit in a hospital bed overnight in Canada (all of which is subsidized by the government and i’m sure Cuba’s costs are similar). Cuba is having huge economic problems right now. If you can afford a vacation to Cuba you should be able to pay a few hundred dollars for the insurance.
  Read what Dawn said, she’s completely right.

• let’s keep in mind that the insurance is going to cost a tiny amount of money… nothing to cry about…

• I have been travelling to Cuba for more than 15 years now, and fortunately , have never needed medical attention. While I do agree that tourists should have medical insurance, in order to prevent the government of Cuba from having to pay for their medical bills, I feel that it is IMPERATIVE that the Cuban government provide THROUGH YOUR TRAVEL AGENCY, AT THE TIME OF BOOKING, a list of APPROVED INSURANCE COMPANIES, so that you will not get hit with buying the insurance after you arrive in Cuba. BE SURE TO TAKE THAT LIST OF APPROVED INSURERS WITH YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Or you may arrive in Cuba and be told that your insurer is NOT approved. MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY IS NOT , I REPEAT, NOT !! AMERICAN OWNED, AS THEY WILL NOT PAY CUBA FOR ANYTHING!!!!!!!!! ( Why do you think it is that cannot use an American based credit card in Cuba ?????//DUHHHH!!!!)

• You cant afford medical insurance? How can you not afford $25 for insurance, but you can afford a whole trip to cuba?
  If you can’t afford insruance, how could you afford a $50k hospital bill if something happened to you?

• Glad I visited Cuba two weeks ago since I cannot buy health insurance at a price I can afford. Guess they will loose lots of visitors from Canada, their second tourist resource.
  Add this new requirement to the ridiculous exchange rates for their CUC monopoly currency and you will choose another destination.
  I feel sorry for the wonderful people of Cuba who will be deprived of income from the tourist industry.
  Great work FIDEL.

• 15 years I travel there, many times had to use medical help, each time I had and did pay cash. I have no need for Cuan insurance. My next trip was to be in May 2010, but I am reconsidering now… there are other islands with less nonsense.

  Pity, it was a nice island.
  Jacek

• I have been to Cuba many times and have had to use their medical facilities on several occasions. Each time I paid cash for the services and have left a tip for the doctor as well. I collected from my insurance company when I got home, without any difficulties, but Cuba should state exactly what insurance companies and terms are acceptable and which are not. They should also advise us of the costs they will be imposing. If they can’t tell us this beforehand it is therefore not a well thought out policy but then it is Cuba.

• These regulations are too vague. Cuba should specify what companies are acceptable and what the alternative would be rather than just saying we must have insurance to please them. They can change their minds while we are getting off the plane and leave us cornered.

• – Congrats to the Cuban Government for being a fast capitalist learner. They shall also improve in
  providing political freedom to their people.

• As to visiting cuba for twenty seven years now and allway s purchased emergency medical insurance in canada at exhorbitant rates i hope assisture can offer comparible insurance much cheaper ; allways a medical emergency is paid on the spot and then later claimed to the insurance company but ontario hospital insurance pays 50.00 per day for outpatient care per incident and 400.00 per day for inpatient care the same as in ontario and 210.00 per treatment for dialisis so in most cases the insurance companys are ripping you off cause it isnt costing them anything .

• Obviously the intent is simply to make sure travellers are covered so when Cuba treats them, they will be reimbursed for the costs. I am quite sure recognized insurance providers will be on Cuba’s approved list.

• honestly this seems to me like another way for the cuban government to get money. of course its irresponsible to travel without insurance ANYWHERE, but it can’t be a coincidence that u get charged the air u breathe as soon as you enter the island, they raised the values on every item u import recently, they now force you to buy insurance…and i say FORCE because if it was an option they would publish INTHE GAZETTE the names of the insurance companies and what the insurance fee will cost in case u don’t have insurance when you arrive. it’s sooooo hard to go to cuba now, and i know i am speaking for so many people, cubans or related to ( me for example, am married to a cuban)… it’s just depressing..

• I would say we should all wait and get more information before saying anything or accusing anybody. It is easy to bitch, but not so easy to actually THINK. I guess when we know which foreign insurance companies are recognized in Cuba and what the price will be for each case individually, meaning of each company, foreign or Cuban, and what the coverage is, THEN we will have enough elements to make at least some sense in what we say. There is a lot of ranting and raving, a lot or foam on people’s mouth, all based on speculation and people’s biased opinions about Cuba and its rules. I would say be informed first, discuss later.

• What a pity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  The biggest market lost will be CANADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• I think it’s a scam, money grab we will go elsewhere. We should choose how we want to solve health issues.

• I travel to Cuba 3 times a year on holidays. If they go through with this cash grab, I will move on to another country, so the the guy who was trying to speak for all of us and say nobody will stop going, he’s wrong. I don’t think any tourists are using the Cuban health system for free. If we get sick, we pay and deal with our insurance when back home. This is a total cash grab from a desperate goverment.

• This was a very poor business decision especially in the midst of a global financial crisis.
  The Cuban Convertible peso conversion fee is already 18 % for tourists converting dollars.Its just another way for the goverment to generate income.

  Forget about Cuba as a vacation destiny – its gotten way overpriced.

• yo no se los demas pero cuando viajo nunca espero que sea el estado al cual visito sea quien pague mis gastos medicos, tampoco se si cuba los cubría y si lo hacia pues muy mal hecho, la salud es responsabilidad de cada individuo, pero como castro nadamas esta pensando como quitarle dinero al turista…..ps mejor ir a otra parte.

• I think maybe if your insurance company is American you have a problem since they would not pay out. This problem is American not Cuban. Cuban American gets sick in Cuba, insurance doesn’t pay Cuban government. Like many of today’s problems in the world, it’s American…

• This may serve as quite a precedent. If the idea spreads, how many countries will demand Proof of Insurance before entering?

  If Cuba’s cost for travelers’ insurance is a reasonable percent of what the entire country pays, and doesn’t involve profits, advertising, lobbying, campaign funding, Corporate Conventions, CEO bonuses, and investments in Wall Street corporations…this insurance may be quite different, price-wise, from US-style insurance.

  What does an average Cuban pay yearly to cover health care? If one goes to Cuba for two or three weeks, that percent of the average cannot be much.

  If this is about Money….It is a mystery that Cuba does not “capitalize” on their ironically imposed Organic Farming…as they can’t get toxic chemicals etc from the US etc. Cuba COULD be a traveler destination for organic foods, organic tobaccos, organic rum, and a non-fossil-fuel energy experience. Cuba could become a vendor to the world of such premium things.

• This sounds vaguely familiar….I wonder if Castro’s been talking to Obama about this forced insurance scam.

• What?! Wha—-Cuba now says all visitors must now buy health insurance to visit?! All of which is impossible because Michael Moore says their system is the best in the world with rainbows and magical unicorns in every hospital room.

• You must be crazy if you do not take, at minimum, emergency health insurance when travelling abroad. I cannot blame Cuba for taking this stance, why should they pay for someone who thought they were covered by a credit card and it turns out not to be true. Or, thought their group policy covered all costs up front and it turns out not to be the case. You either were not covered for that procedure or you need to pay the thousands of dollars in destination and claim when you get home. Cuban hospitals connot afford to do things for free or extend credit. Yes force people to take insurance like forcing them to have passport is a great idea. It is their country and entry requirements are their decision. In terms of loosing business, I doubt it highly. They are already one of the least expensive destination and even if you consider a $30.00 bump per person, for emergency hospital and medical, big deal. It is still considerably less expensive then going to other destination. Good for Cuba!!

• So how will we know which insurance companies are acceptable??
  Will they publish a list?

• Having already purchased more than sufficient medical insurance for our forth coming trip to Cuba in May/June this year, how are we to know that it will be ‘recognised’ by the Cuban authorities?
  Perhaps the Ministry of Justice should publish insurance companies that are ‘recognised’ and those that are not.
  This does have a hint of imperialist mentality about it (or am I being cynical?).

  Terence

• Well, In my opinion this is an step Cuba is taking into their own way of Capitalism, like many other ridiculous ways to grab money to the benefit of a few, like the white letter and the invitation letter that Cubans have to buy have to be able to visit a relative or a friend abroad. This rule like many others, do not represent the interest of the Cuban people and their opinion in this matter have not been consulted at all. I understand Insurance is needed to non Cubans and of course they all buy it abroad anyways, but shouldn’t be up to Cuba to decide wish Insurance Company they should choose, unless there is no agreement between tarts when it comes to payment for medical services. I also understand that that Cubans that migrate permanently out of the Country wouldn’t be consider to receive FREE MEDIAL CARE and the therefor need some kind of insurance but, what about the ones that the government have made pay for a ( PRE ) ????????????

• no one is going to stop going to Cuba because of this Insurance scam. 1$ beer, 10$ lobster dinners, 2$ for 7 yr old Havana Club, and 50$ girls.(boys)

• I have my provincial insurance from Canada, my work insurance, the insurance on my Visa charge card and private insurance just for travelling for 30 days at a time. Who at the airport is going to tell me that I am under insured (I am way over insured) or that my policies are not good in Cuba (which they are). Who is going to have all the details of each of these policies and make the judgement call? The same person at the airport counter who tries to scam the uneducated tourist for over wieght luggage. To pay for another Cuban policy for myself and many other Canadians is nonsence. I see this just as another cash grab, the Cuban government is now gone into the begging sydrome, i will now reconsider the two trips that I take to Cuba a year. My tourist dollars that I spent in Cuba will not be returning if this policy is not controlled properly. For what I will have to pay to the policy they are suggesting and I will be able to other exotic locations

• The way I read it is that if upon entry you don’t have traveller’s insurance with a company that Cuba can collect from, you will be required to purchase insurace provided by the Cuban State. This makes perfect sense to me since lots of tourists use medical facilities while there and its often on the Cuban people’s dime. It’s not a big deal. Compare it for example with most countries where you will pay full cost out of your pocket for services if you need medical attention while on travelling in them. This way you will pay a small fee upon entry and if something happens, you will receive treatment without it costing a fortune…. but without the burden falling on the Cuban people… Kind of a socialization of the cost split up among tourists….I think its a great idea. Especially with all the Cuban Americans who are going down there and going into regular Cuban clinics for free care that they could not afford in the US.

• We hope the Cuban government clears up what this new measure means ASAP. Havana Times will immediately publish whatever is announced.

• I’m sure the profit income has more than a little to do with their considerations here. All you have to do is look at the “insurance company” parasites in the imperialist countries: they are some of the richest non-productive enterprises around. But certainly tourists & foreigners should have to ‘pay their way’ in Cuba too: no reason why the cuban people should have to foot the bill for extraordinary expenses incurred from e.g. lawsuits & injury & property claims from people outside the country — many of them certainly operating with ulterior motives.
  However this development certainly drives home the fact that it is almost impossible to create anything more than the ghost of socialism on 1 small island, surrounded by a sea of hostile capitalist interests. In any case: such laws should be decided on in the regular deliberations of the sovereign councils of the people of the country — & not in camera, and by fiat, without public consultation. That’s not socialism either.

• Having been an expat in Cuba for almost 6 years until very recently, working with the government on various levels, there’s only one way to describe this – cash grab. The government is desperate to get funds wherever they can, so they’re starting to sell their own, mandatory health insurance to travelers now. At 2.4 million tourists plus thousands of Cubans abroad visiting the island every year, that’s a significant amount of $$. Of course, if someone gets sick they’ll be treated at Cuba’s own clinics, and they’ll charge the health insurer way more than what it really did cost. If it’s a foreign company, the better. If the foreign insurer must be “recognized by the Cuban government”, rest assured that the insurer will have to pay some kind of fee for that to happen. And knowing the government, wouldn’t surprise me at all if suddenly tourists start getting sick at hotel buffets in rather unusual numbers…

• Is it possible to advise how an approved insurance company from outside Cuba will be known by tourists prior to entry. This will definitely impact my decision to continue to travel to Cuba as I already have my work world wide insurance and I always purchase additional for trip cancellation. How or who do I direct my inquiries to in order to determine if we should continue looking at going to Cuba?

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