How To Get Health Insurance In Myanmar As An Expat

If you’re looking for private health insurance in Myanmar, you may already know you need COVID-19 medical coverage to enter the country.

You could take out a travel insurance policy for short stays. However, if you’re an expat planning to live in Myanmar for six months or longer, private health insurance might be a better fit. The public healthcare quality in Myanmar is far lower than what you might expect in the West, and you probably won’t use the public healthcare system unless you work for the country’s government. 

With private medical insurance, you can get access to high-quality private healthcare in the best hospitals, such as those in Yangon, Nyaungshwe, and Mandalay. As international insurance experts, we can help you use private clinics and set up specialist appointments no matter where you’ll be living in Myanmar.

Let’s walk through how to set up international health insurance and what you need to know about healthcare in Myanmar. 

How to get health insurance in Myanmar

Whether you’ve never set foot in Myanmar or already lived there for years, you have two ways to find private health insurance.

You can choose to:

1. Use a broker – Insurance brokers do the heavy lifting for you by benchmarking the cost of different providers. They aim to save you time and money by finding the right policy for your needs at the best possible price.
2. Go direct – Alternatively, you can go directly to an insurance provider. Some providers require you to phone or email for a quote. But it can be frustrating to make a phone call or send an email and go through a list of questions just to get a price for your insurance.

Other providers let you get a quick online quote, which makes it easier to follow up with them directly and ask questions about your quote and potential policies.

With William Russell, you can use our online quote system to get prices in three minutes or less and receive a callback from one of our team members to answer any questions you may have.

How to get health insurance with William Russell

It’s easy to get private health insurance in Myanmar with William Russell. Here’s how it works:

1/ Choose your plan level

Visit our online quote finder and decide on your policy. Choose from Bronze, SilverLite, Silver, or Gold. 

• Hospital treatment
• Local ambulances (including air ambulance)
• Advanced diagnostic tests
• Cancer treatment (including genome testing of cancerous cells)
• Transplants
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Access to a 24hr emergency helpline

*Bronze, SilverLite and Silver plans cover complications of pregnancy
**All plans cover emergency restorative dental treatment
Subject to waiting periods

2/ Choose your coverage zone

After deciding on your plan level, you can choose your coverage zone. For living in Myanmar, you have three options:

3/ See prices

You’ll now see your price. If you’re happy to proceed, one of our team will call you to finalise your policy. They’ll answer any questions you have and make sure you understand what your plan will cover. We can get most policies set up within 2-3 days.

How to make a claim with William Russell

Your claim will either be out-patient, in-patient, or a medical evacuation. Let’s break down what each one means:

Out-patient – Sometimes, you might need medical help but don’t need to stay in the hospital. In this case, you pay for your treatment, and then we pay you back. If the bill is over US$500, just get a note from the doctor and attach it along with your claim. 

In-patient – If your medical treatment requires a planned or emergency hospital stay, let us know as soon as you can. We’ll cover the hospital bills, and you’ll cover your excess (a small part of the cost). To make a claim, complete our online form and send it over. We’ll aim to evaluate it within 10 working days. 

Medical evacuation – If you’re in a life or limb-threatening situation and can’t get the treatment you need locally, we’ll cover the costs to evacuate you to a medical centre with the proper care.

How medical evacuation works 

As an expat working and living in Myanmar, you might be far away from private hospitals or reliable medical centres. All our health insurance plans include medical evacuation coverage to make sure you get the help you need in a life or limb-threatening situation.

Here’s how it works:

1. Phone our emergency helpline, available 24/7
2. We’ll assess your situation. If there’s no suitable medical help near you, we’ll set up an evacuation
3. Our team will prepare an ambulance, by land or air, to take you to a medical centre where you can get the treatment you need

Why choose William Russell?

With so many insurers offering international health insurance in Myanmar, what makes William Russell stand out?

Here are nine unique strengths that set William Russell apart:

1/ The expertise of a specialised provider that understands your lifestyle

As an expat in Myanmar, you want your insurance provider to understand what it means to be a foreigner living abroad. With William Russell, you get comprehensive and flexible health coverage that is designed for expats.

Since 1992, we’ve been focusing solely on international insurance. We design all our plans to fit an expat lifestyle, which means health insurance with William Russell can cover you as you travel the globe. Our 4.4/5 rating on Feefo shows that our members in over 150 countries and of 130+ nationalities value our global insurance.

By choosing William Russell, you’re not just getting an insurance policy: you’re partnering with a seasoned team that understands the specific needs of expats.

2/ Friendly customer service in plain English

A very small percentage of Myanmar’s population speaks English, so communicating with a local insurance provider may prove challenging. When you contact us, we’ll put you through to our UK office, where you’ll always have access to English speakers.

We don’t use busy and loud call centres, and you’ll only interact with a handful of our team, so you’re not repeating yourself or waiting on hold for hours. When it’s time to renew, we check in with you and help trim your policy premiums by reducing any cover you no longer need.

3/ Three coverage zones to choose from 

Most plans restrict your insurance coverage to one or two regions, making you pay for services you might never use. But with William Russell, you have three zones to choose from when living in Myanmar. You can opt for coverage in South East Asia only or choose a worldwide plan (with restricted coverage in the USA or no US cover).

4/ Easy-to-understand plans and simple claims processes

Many providers have insurance policies that are full of insurance terms and difficult to understand, particularly if you don’t speak English as a first language.

We pride ourselves on crafting our policies in straightforward English, without any jargon, so it’s easy to comprehend. Before finalising your plan, a friendly team member will call you to make sure you understand your policy and what it covers.

5/ Medical evacuation as standard on all plans

Getting into a medical emergency abroad can be terrifying. You might not speak the local language and be far away from a medical centre. But as a William Russell member, we have your back.

If you’re in a life or limb-threatening situation and can’t get help nearby, we’ll organise an urgent evacuation – by air if necessary. Should you be medically evacuated, we’ll also cover your transport fees back home (and for a companion if you upgrade to Medevac Plus).

6/ Specialist team for cancer, emergency, and maternity claims

You don’t want to add extra stress when making a claim for serious conditions like cancer or maternity issues. At William Russell, we provide a specialist touch for these complex claims. We’ll pair you with a team member who is familiar with your condition and capable of processing your claims swiftly, letting you concentrate on your well-being.

We also provide coverage for things that other insurers don’t, such as wigs for those undergoing chemotherapy and experiencing hair loss.

7/ Access to the best private hospitals in Myanmar

With a plan from William Russell, you have the freedom to choose the best private hospitals in Myanmar for your healthcare needs, such as:

• Pun Hlaing Siloam Hospital, Mandalay
• Nyaung Shwe Clinic, Nyaungshwe
• Pun Hlaing Siloam Hospitals, Yangon
• Pun Hlaing Clinic, Yangon
• Star City Clinic, Yangon

These hospitals are part of the William Russell network, which means we can pay the hospital directly for all doctor visits if you’re on our Silver or Gold plans (you’ll get a separate application form if you’d like to add this benefit your plan). We’ll take your excess directly so you can have a completely cashless experience.

However, with William Russell, you are always free to choose another hospital outside our network, like Victoria Hospital or Yangon General Hospital, for greater peace of mind.

8/ International cover designed for expats

William Russell provides comprehensive health insurance for a wide range of expats, including: 

• Aid workers and international contractors 
• Business owners and professionals
• Frequent flyers
• Digital nomads
• Retirees
• Families 
• Any expat looking to stay in Myanmar for at least six months

9/ Complimentary access to the Solace Secure app 

Every William Russell member gets free access to the Solace Secure app to help you stay safe no matter where you live or travel to in the world.

This app keeps you informed about potential dangers to avoid in Myanmar in real time on your smartphone. You’ll receive instant notifications about civil unrest, conflicts, and even disease outbreaks. 

We’ve been insuring expats for decades and know how important it is to take the right precautions to preserve your health and well-being. Read on to find out how to do so and how the healthcare system in Myanmar works. 

4 ways to stay safe in Myanmar

Myanmar requires a few extra steps to stay safe than some other countries. Follow these four tips to protect your health and security:

1. Check the safety status before you travel – A state of emergency is currently in effect in Myanmar. This means the security in different regions can change swiftly and unpredictably. Stay updated on the safety status in different areas with our free access to the Solace Secure app. It will send you real-time notifications about civil unrest or conflict in the area. All William Russell members get free access to the app.
2. Avoid drinking tap water – Tap water in Myanmar often contains harmful bacteria and contaminants that can cause illness. It’s best to opt for bottled or boiled water to stay healthy. Remember to use bottled water to avoid potential health risks, even for brushing your teeth.
3. Get the right vaccinations – Before travelling to Myanmar, talk to your healthcare provider about necessary vaccinations. As per the CDC and NHS guidelines, you’ll need vaccinations for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, and typhoid. Also, check if you require a yellow fever vaccination based on your previous travel history.
4. Be cautious around dogs – Rabies is a significant public health concern in Myanmar, mainly spread through stray dogs. To protect yourself, it’s best to avoid any contact with street dogs. If you are bitten or scratched by a dog, seek medical attention immediately.

How the healthcare system works in Myanmar

Public healthcare facilities and services in Myanmar consistently rank amongst the lowest in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The public hospitals in the country are severely understaffed, with not enough doctors and nurses to cater to Myanmar’s population of over 50 million.

If you’re an expat considering public healthcare, you’ll have limited access to public health insurance. Its essential purpose is to serve government employees.

However, as an employee in Myanmar, your employer might enroll you in the social security system. This would make you eligible for some public insurance benefits. Still, it only covers certain conditions, and you’ll likely have to pay out of pocket.

Myanmar’s standards of public healthcare probably won’t meet your minimum expectations as an expat. For higher quality medical care without paying out of pocket for pay-as-you-go care, look into a comprehensive international health insurance policy.

Trust William Russell with your international health insurance in Myanmar

If your travels as an expat bring you to Myanmar, William Russell will have your back. By becoming a member, you’ll have the security of a health insurance plan that’s tailored for expats, and provided by a reputable insurance provider.