Healthcare

CEDIMAT (Santo Domingo) for cardiac care and advanced diagnostics. Centro Médico UCE and Clínica Abreu (Santo Domingo) for general and specialist care. HOMS (Santiago) for the Cibao region. Hospiten (Punta Cana) for east-coast expats and tourists. All have English-speaking staff and accept international insurance. For serious emergencies, Santo Domingo's private hospitals are the best in the country.

Local plans (Humano, Mapfre, Universal) cost $40–$100/month and cover most private hospitals in the DR. International plans (Cigna, Aetna, BUPA) cost $150–$400/month and add worldwide coverage, medical evacuation, and dental. Most expats under 60 can get comprehensive local coverage for under $80/month. Over 65, international plans become more expensive but are recommended for evacuation coverage.

Yes - pharmacies (Farmacia Carol, GBC, La Sirena) are ubiquitous and many medications are available without a prescription. Generics are widely stocked and very affordable. Antibiotics, blood pressure medication, and many other drugs can be purchased over the counter. Controlled substances (opioids, benzodiazepines) do require prescriptions. Brand-name imported drugs cost more but are available at major pharmacy chains.

Yes - dental tourism is growing rapidly. A dental implant costs $600–$1,200 (vs. $3,000–$5,000 in the US). Root canals: $100–$300. Teeth whitening: $150–$300. Santo Domingo has modern dental clinics with US-trained dentists. Many American expats schedule dental work during their DR trips. Quality is generally excellent at established clinics, though research and reviews are important.

Emergency number: 911 covers police, fire, and ambulance. Ambulance response times vary - in Santo Domingo, private ambulance services (MedExpress, Rescate Médico) provide faster response for $50–$150 per call. Most expats take a taxi or Uber directly to the nearest private hospital ER for non-life-threatening emergencies. Expats outside major cities should ensure their insurance covers air evacuation to Santo Domingo.