Tourists Must Pay 500% Of Local Healthcare Rates In This Area Of Bali

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There are many reasons why tourists may end up in hospital during their vacation to Bali. Aside from planned medical tourism trips, tourists find themselves in the emergency room all too often in Bali.

From slips and trips to food poisoning to traffic accidents and more serious situations, tourists must have travel and medical insurance before they touch down in Bali. 

As international tourism resorts go, Bali’s medical offering is pretty good. Medical resources available to tourists are about to get even better come early 2024.

The Bali International Hospital will formally open in Sanur early next year. The hospital is a dedicated private hospital facility and will not provide government-funded medical treatments. 

Tourists who need medical care while in Bali are able to visit private or government-funded medical facilities.

Right now, if a foreigner accesses medical care at a public medical facility, as a general rule, they pay 150% of the rate for local patients.

One politician in Buleleng Regency has just proposed that the legislation change so that tourists pay 500% of the local rate for medical care at a public health clinic or hospital. And his request has been actioned right away.

@gokhanbu How much does it cost to go the doctor in Bali 🇮🇩? #indonesia #bali #balimedicalcosts ♬ Storytelling – Adriel

A representative for Buleleng, Putu Mangku Budiasa, shared his vision during a discussion on tax and retributions on Tuesday 3rd October.

He explained, “When compared to the health rates in their country, 150% is very cheap, especially when converted into dollars. Don’t just put 150 percent; I think it’s very realistic to put up 500 percent.”

Budiasa stated that if foreigners in Bali cannot afford increased rates, they should not be visiting. He noted that Indonesian citizens traveling abroad must account for high medical costs, and so tourists in Bali must be prepared to do the same.

He added that residents pay taxes that help fund public medical care; tourists on the other hand, do not pay local taxes and should, therefore pay for the medical services they use in full.

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Budiasa was clear “If you don’t have money, just take it (look for a shaman). If you are a foreigner, don’t be tolerant. Because if our citizens seek treatment abroad there is no tolerance.”

“If you don’t have money, you will be thrown out and no service will be provided.”

Buleleng Regency does not receive a huge amount of tourism compared to Badung Regency for example.

Buleleng Regency is best known for tourist destinations like Lovina Beach, West Bali National Park, and the waterfall-speckled Munduk.

At present, international patients make up just 1-2% of Buleleng Regional Hospital’s patients. The Regional Secretariat of Buleleng, Putu Karuna, has confirmed that the increase from 150% to 500% is going ahead. 

@topkonstruksi Rumah sakit internasional Bali atau Bali Interntional Hospital (BIH) akan mulai beroperasi pada 2024 mendatang. #rumahsakitinternasionalbali #rumahsakitinternasional #jokowi #jokowidodo #topkonstruksi #konstruksi ♬ suara asli – Top Konstruksi

Karuna said, “The initial tariff agreed upon by the Buleleng District Hospital and the Community Health Center was 150 percent based on conditions that often occur in the field.”

“But because there was a proposal from the Buleleng DPRD, we agreed that the rate for health services for foreigners will be 500 percent.”

Currently, it is only the rates at government-run medical facilities in Buleleng Regency that will increase fees for foreigners.

Though with the provincial government actively promoting medical tourism, it would not be surprising to see other regencies following suit in the near future.

This is one of the many reasons why medical insurance is vitally important for all travelers heading to Bali.

As the festive season approaches and Bali braces to welcome over one million people to the island, tourists are reminded to check that any annual health or travel insurance policies are in date and as comprehensive as can be.

One of the common travel insurance issues tourists face in Bali is that many policies do not cover injury caused in a traffic collision as standard.

Tourists are urged to ensure that they are insured before renting and driving a vehicle in Bali. Every year, dozens of stories emerge of tourists racking up massive medical bills as a result of an uninsured traffic accident.