Aruba's healthcare system, read from a residence at YOO Aruba

Buying a second home on an island raises a question a hotel stay never does: what happens when you are there for weeks, not days, and something goes wrong with your health. Aruba's answer is a public insurance scheme for people who live there, one general hospital, a round-the-clock medical centre at the other end of the island, and a set of practical rules every visiting owner should know before they need them. This guide walks through each, from the point of view of an owner at YOO Aruba in Oranjestad.

How is healthcare organised in Aruba?

The system rests on two pillars. The first is AZV, the general health insurance run for the island's population: the Government of Aruba states that everyone registered as a resident in the Civil Registry is insured with it. The second is a compact network of facilities. The Horacio Oduber Hospital in Oranjestad serves as the island's general hospital, with specialists in a wide range of fields, and services such as oxygen and hemodialysis. At the eastern end, the Centro Medico Dr. Rudy Engelbrecht in San Nicolas offers emergency assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For a part-time owner the important word is registered. Owning a residence does not register you as a resident, and the government's statement says nothing about visitors. The sensible reading is that, until you hold residence and are entered in the registry, you should arrange your own cover rather than count on AZV.

How far is the hospital from YOO Aruba?

Close. Measured on open map data, the Horacio Oduber Hospital is about 2.5 miles by road from YOO Aruba's map pin and about 1.7 miles in a straight line. It stands on the Eagle Beach side of Oranjestad, across from the resort strip that begins there, so for an owner in town it is a short drive rather than a cross-island trip. The San Nicolas medical centre is about 11 miles away in a straight line, on the far side of the airport.

We give no drive time. The routing model behind the distance assumes empty roads, and an honest minute count for an emergency depends on traffic, the time of day and whether you are driving yourself or waiting for an ambulance.

Who pays when a visiting owner needs care?

Usually you do, at least at first. Aruba's tourism authority warns that not all insurances are accepted on the island, so a doctor's or hospital visit may have to be paid by cash or credit card. The Government of Canada's travel advice says the same in its own words: health care is very good and available throughout the country, facilities may require immediate cash payment, and medical evacuation can be very expensive, so travellers should carry insurance that covers evacuation and hospital stays.

For American owners on Medicare the gap is wider. Medicare.gov states that Medicare usually does not cover health care while you are travelling outside the United States, and that Medicare drug plans do not cover prescriptions bought abroad. Some Medicare supplement (Medigap) policies may cover emergency care outside the country. Read your own policy before your first long stay, not during it.

What about prescriptions and pharmacies?

Bring what you need. The tourism authority notes that Aruba's drugstores cannot fill a prescription written by a doctor who does not practise on the island. If you run out, you will need to see a local doctor for a new prescription. Medicines dispensed on prescription are exempt from Aruba's turnover tax, and at night or on a holiday one drugstore in each district stays open 24 hours on a rotating basis.

On cost, the most neutral yardstick is the international price comparison run by the World Bank's International Comparison Program: in 2021 the price level of health goods and services in Aruba was about 54% of the United States level. That is a national average for a matched basket, not a quote for any treatment.

What happens in a serious emergency?

Call 911 for an ambulance; the police number is 100. All travellers can go to the hospital's emergency room and will be attended, and the emergency department has an attending physician on site around the clock. When the care a patient needs is not available on the island, the tourism authority says the patient is airlifted by air ambulance, which accepts insurance that covers it, a credit card or a bank transfer. That is why evacuation cover is the line in a travel policy that matters most for an owner here.

A short checklist for owners

• Know your status. AZV covers people registered as residents. If you are not registered, buy cover before you travel.
• Check evacuation. Make sure your policy includes medical evacuation and hospital stays.
• Carry a card and some cash. Be ready to pay first and claim later.
• Pack your prescriptions. Bring enough for the whole stay, with the generic names written down.
• Save the numbers. 911 for an ambulance, 100 for police, and the hospital's address in Oranjestad.
• Tell your guests. If you rent, put the same practical points in your house guide.

Common questions

Does Aruba have free healthcare?

Aruba has a public health insurer, AZV, which covers people registered as residents. Visitors and owners who are not registered residents should expect to pay and to rely on their own insurance.

Where is the hospital in Aruba?

The Horacio Oduber Hospital, the island's general hospital, stands in Oranjestad near Eagle Beach, about 2.5 miles by road from YOO Aruba on open map data.

Does Medicare work in Aruba?

Usually not. Medicare.gov says Medicare usually does not cover care outside the United States and its drug plans do not cover prescriptions bought abroad; some Medigap policies may cover emergencies.

What is the emergency number in Aruba?

911 for an ambulance and 100 for the police.