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Hi Biet,

Welcome to the forum.

You should have and have to have health insurance. By applying for and getting an ID card you declared yourself a resident.

You either get health insurance through entitlement from your home country, through working and paying national insurance or through buying private coverage.

You should arrange it as soon as possible so you can contuinue shopping without risk-)))

The difference between private and public? Private they treat you right away and you pay right away.They prefer cash. Public you wait for treatment and the state pays if you have NI.

Regards
Ricky

Hi Biet

This is an attempt to cover a complex subject quickly!

You are entitled to use the Maltese public health system if you are paying (or perhaps have recently paid) social security contributions in Malta or another EU state. (Or perhaps if you're British or retired, but you clearly are neither.)

Otherwise you can buy health insurance from companies like Gasan Mamo, La Ferla, Atlas, Middlesea, BUPA Malta.  You can also buy day-to-day healthcare from private family doctors quite cheaply (perhaps €10-20 for a consultation).  It may be sensible to strike a balance between self-insurance, ie paying as you go, for minor matters, and commercial insurance against big things (eg a broken leg).

Mater Dei is the island's big public general hospital.  It has a very wide range of expertise but is sometimes overcrowded.  I believe private hospitals may offer better "hotel" facilities, shorter queues, and depth in some medical specialisms, but perhaps not the same range of expertise as Mater Dei.  Many doctors at private hospitals work both there and at Mater Dei.

That's my take on it.  Let's see what others have to say!

(PS - I see Ricky has replied aa I was writing.  Hopefully our answers stack up.)

Thanks very much for the advice! I guess that a private insurance would be most suitable for me, do you have some experience with the different companies? Thank you for helling me out!

Hey, welcome to the Island and the forum!

Personally I'd advise looking into private quotes, then as John said, striking a balance between using the private care (big things) and the free doctor or the family docs that charge a small fee, just for smaller things.

My boyfriend recently had an accident and had to have an operation, he has private Healthcare through Atlas

you can read about the experience here


and I'm so glad he had it! The hospital was lovely, the surgeon was one of the best in europe from what we've read online and the operation was done 3 hours after we arrived! We've been to Mater Dei before, I was rushed in and it was OK just over crowded as John said and I wouldn't be so sure about an operation there. The wait for one thing,might be quite long.

I recently got myself a quote from Atlas and it was very cheap, between 80-100 euro for 3 months! Which was for quite extensive cover.

Good luck!

A point to watch re Atlas.  Generally, I've heard good reports of them.  However, when I got a quote from them last year, it included the provision that "Members must be entitled for free treatment in our local state clinics and hospitals".  If you are not so entitled, that might be an issue.  Best check with them.