Health insurance in Cambodia: How to choose the right plan

Cambodia is a popular destination for expats of all types, because of its low cost of living and warm climate. But if you’re traveling to the country, it’s important to think carefully about healthcare before you arrive.

Here’s the bottom line. Healthcare in Cambodia has improved a lot over the last few decades. But healthcare outcomes are still lower than international averages. Healthcare providers are also highly concentrated in the main cities. In rural areas, treatment is much more difficult to find. Most importantly, many people have to travel abroad for high-stakes or emergency treatments.

That’s why health insurance is so important. In this piece, we discuss expat health insurance in Cambodia, so you can find the best policy for your situation.

Healthcare in Cambodia: How the system works

Like many countries, Cambodia has both public and private healthcare treatment. Employees can get basic healthcare coverage via the National Social Security Fund. But the coverage here is very limited and heavily focused on the major cities. Otherwise, private healthcare is the default setting for most expats in Cambodia.

Healthcare in Cambodia has gotten a lot better in the last few decades. Today, life expectancy is around 70 years, up from around 40 in the mid-20th century. Nonetheless, it’s still lower than the global average of 73.8 and significantly lower than the OECD average of 81.1. Clearly, there are still challenges in the system.

Most importantly, healthcare in Cambodia is very unequal between rural and urban areas. Around half of doctors and 3/4 of specialists work in Phnom Penh, the country’s capital. This means healthcare in the capital is much better than the rest of the country, particularly rural areas.

There’s also one particular issue to be aware of in Cambodia: Counterfeit medication. While established pharmacies in big cities are generally reliable, this isn’t the same everywhere. Many smaller and unlicensed sellers trade in unregulated and substandard medication. This is a particular public health issue in the country, and it’s important to keep this in mind when buying medication.

Medical evacuation: Why coverage is essential

Here’s an important thing to understand about healthcare in Cambodia. For the most serious treatment, you’ll almost certainly have to travel abroad. Generally, this is done in either Bangkok or Singapore. If this isn’t explicitly covered by your insurance, you’ll have to pay both the costs of the medical transportation and the treatment out-of-pocket.

This doesn’t come cheap. Generally, you’re looking at a minimum of $10,000 for medical transportation alone, before you’ve even paid for treatment.

This is most relevant to procedures for issues like cardiac events, strokes, and serious infections. Complex surgery and cancer treatments are also generally done abroad.

The bottom line is this: If you haven’t got coverage for medical evacuation, there’s a real risk of huge out-of-pocket costs. This is common in international health insurance plans, but rare in local private health insurance policies. Whatever you choose, it’s hugely important to check this first.

What are the main options for health insurance in Cambodia?

There are several different types of healthcare and health insurance in Cambodia. Here’s a straightforward explanation of the main options and how they differ:

National Social Security Fund (NSSF)

The National Social Security Fund is available to employees in Cambodia. It’s funded by employer contributions (2.6% of your salary), meaning you don’t pay anything. If you’re employed by an organization registered in Cambodia, you’re automatically covered, even if you’re an expat.

But even if you do qualify for this, it’s only a baseline. The system is basic and resources are limited, meaning it can be hard to get quality healthcare. It also only applies to health facilities within the NSSF network, which is quite limited. Most treatment is also done in Khmer (the local language). This can be a challenge for expats who only speak English.

Most importantly, emergency evacuation isn’t covered by the public system. If you need to travel abroad for treatment, you’ll need to pay the costs yourself. Therefore, extra insurance is vital.

Private health insurance in Cambodia

Private health insurance offers access to better quality and more accessible healthcare. Given the limitations of the public system, this is vital for those living in Cambodia.

Generally, the treatment available here is higher quality and more likely to be in English. It’s also easier to get treated privately if you live outside Phnom Penh, vs. the public system.

But there are still limitations. Local private insurance plans often have coverage ceilings. This means you’re generally not covered for the most serious conditions. You’ll also find that emergency evacuation usually isn’t covered here as well. If you need to travel outside of the country, you’ll still have to pay the costs yourself.

International health insurance

This is similar to standard private insurance in many ways. But it also covers healthcare treatment outside the country. It’s also the most reliable way to get emergency evacuation coverage.

If you’re an expat in Cambodia, there’s a good chance this is the best option. Since it offers medical insurance in multiple countries, it can be hugely helpful when you’re moving in or out of Cambodia. It’s also useful if you regularly travel abroad. When combined with the emergency evacuation coverage, this is by far the most comprehensive option available.

Read more: International health insurance: a guide for expats

Comparing the main options for health insurance in Cambodia:

Here’s a quick overview of the main healthcare and health insurance options:

Here’s a quick look at what the best health insurance in Cambodia might be for expats in different situations:

• Employed expat: NSSF offers a baseline, but this isn’t really sufficient on its own. Instead, supplement this with private or international health insurance.
• Digital nomad: Unless you’re working for a Cambodian organization, digital nomads don’t qualify for NSSF healthcare. Therefore, comprehensive private or international health insurance is vital.
• Retiree: Retirees are unlikely to qualify for public healthcare. Private health insurance will provide coverage for everyday healthcare treatments. International health insurance in Cambodia is the best way to get insurance for emergency treatments.
• Budget-conscious: It can be tempting to skip health insurance to save money. But in Cambodia, this can be genuinely dangerous, given the high cost of emergency treatment. International health insurance provides cost-effective insurance in several countries.
• Short-term visitor: Here, travel health insurance in Cambodia is generally the default setting. Make sure that medical evacuation is covered.

Straightforward international health insurance, built for expats

International health insurance is the best way to get cost-effective healthcare in Cambodia. And at Feather, we want to make it as easy as possible for you to find the right health insurance policy.

To do that, we offer straightforward international health insurance policies designed with expats in mind. Here’s what that includes:

• English-speaking support and documentation
• Policies approved in as little as a few hours
• Access to a friendly support team to help answer your questions
• 100% of costs covered up to our coverage limit (€300,000 for Essential and €2.5M for Plus)
• Emergency evacuation

Weighing up global providers before you buy? See how Feather compares with AXA for expats in Cambodia.