Health care in Bermuda: no CAK, a policy through your employer or your own, and one hospital
Bermuda is not a treaty country for health care: after you emigrate there is no CAK scheme. If you work in Bermuda, your employer must insure you and your non-working spouse, and may withhold at most half of the standard premium. If you do not work, you arrange a policy yourself. The standard premium is 439.55 dollars per person per month. The standard package does not cover hospitals outside Bermuda.
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Bermuda is not a treaty country for health care. The CAK, which arranges health insurance for pensioners in treaty countries, does not list Bermuda. After you emigrate your Dutch basic insurance stops, and there is no CAK scheme. In Bermuda health care is arranged through the employer: if you work there, your employer must insure you. If you do not work, you take out a policy yourself.
The Bermudian dollar is equal to the US dollar. We convert amounts at the rate of 23 October 2026: 1 euro is about 1.12 dollars.
Who insures whom?
| Situation | Who arranges it | What you pay |
|---|---|---|
| You work in Bermuda | your employer, for you and your non-working spouse | at most half of the standard premium, through your salary |
| You are self-employed | you, with at least the standard package | the whole premium |
| Your children | not compulsory; ask whether your employer's policy covers them | |
| You live on your own income | you; your own policy is a condition of your residence | the whole premium |
| Unmarried partner without work | you; the law only counts a legal spouse | the whole premium |
What must your employer do?
Under section 20 of the Health Insurance Act every employer takes out health insurance with a licensed insurer. It covers at least the Standard Health Benefit, the statutory standard package. The insurance applies to the employer, to every employee and to the non-employed spouse of an employee. That is a legal spouse who lives in Bermuda and does not work.
Your employer pays the premium. He may withhold at most half of the standard premium from your salary, for you and for your spouse. Children are not in the law. So ask before you sign whether your children can be on your employer's policy, and what that costs.
What does a policy cost?
Since 1 April 2026 the standard premium is $439.55 per person per month (about €393). That is the price of the standard package alone. A package with a GP, specialist, medicines or care abroad costs more; the price depends on the insurer.
The government has two plans of its own. HIP is open to everyone. FutureCare is for people aged 65 and over.
| Plan | Premium per person per month |
|---|---|
| Standard premium (standard package) | $439.55 (≈ €393) |
| HIP, under 65 | $502.44 (≈ €449) |
| HIP, 65 and over without subsidy | $1,239.60 (≈ €1,107) |
| FutureCare, with subsidy | $530.14 (≈ €474) |
| FutureCare, without subsidy | $1,528.48 (≈ €1,366) |
You only get the subsidy for people aged 65 and over if you lived in Bermuda for at least ten consecutive years in the twenty years before. If you come to Bermuda as a pensioner, you therefore pay the full rate. For a couple aged 65 or over that is more than $3,000 a month with FutureCare.
What does the standard package not cover?
The standard package does not cover treatment in a hospital outside Bermuda. That is in the rules for the package. Bermuda has one hospital for acute care; what cannot be done there happens elsewhere. So check whether your policy covers care abroad (overseas care), and up to what amount.
Why arrange it before you leave?
The CAK writes: if your new country of residence is not on the list, take out health insurance yourself. For Bermuda that means: your policy starts on the day your Dutch insurance stops. How to cancel it without being uninsured for a single day is explained in cancelling your health insurance without a gap.
If you live on your own income, your own policy for the whole period is a condition of your residence. With every application you submit a copy of your policy. See the residence routes.
If you come to live in Bermuda for the first time, Immigration also asks for a medical certificate. It is assessed by the hospital, King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. You submit medical documents in English.
Where do you go when you are ill?
The hospital is King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH). The same hospital board runs the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre, an urgent care post, and the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute for mental health care.
For the ambulance, the fire service, the police and rescue at sea you call 911. During a hurricane or another disaster the government provides information through the emergency station FM 100.1.
If you are bringing medicines, read taking medicines across the border.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey, step 5.3: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Bermuda or go straight to step 5.3 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- CAK — the treaty countries for health care; Bermuda is not listed — hetcak.nl
- Health Insurance Act 1970, sections 19 to 22 — the employer's duty and half of the premium — bermudalaws.bm
- Health Insurance (Standard Health Benefit) Regulations 1971 — the standard package, the premium and no hospital outside Bermuda — bermudalaws.bm
- Ministry of Health — the new standard premium from 1 April 2026 — gov.bm
- Health Insurance Plan (Premium) Order 2015 — the premium of the government plan HIP — bermudalaws.bm
- FutureCare Plan (Premium) Order 2015 — the premium for people aged 65 and over — bermudalaws.bm
- Bermuda Hospitals Board — the KEMH hospital and the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre — bermudahospitals.bm
- Government of Bermuda — what to do in an emergency, with 911 — gov.bm
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