The current healthcare system has three different tiers:
➢ Subsidized regime, which is financed by the government for self-employed workers with unstable incomes that are below the national minimum wage, as well as for unemployed, disabled and indigent people. It is financed by the Dominican State.
➢ Contributive regime, which is financed by workers and employers. Comprises of public and private salaried workers and their employers. It is financed by the workers and their employers, including the state as an employer.
➢ Contributive subsidized regime, which is financed by independent workers, technical workers, and self-employed people, but subsidized by the state. Protects independent professionals and technical workers and self-employed workers on average wages equivalent to or higher than the national minimum wage. It is funded through contributions from the worker and a state subsidy in lieu of an employer.
At the bottom, the poorest in society are guaranteed access to free, socialized care. The reality however, is that most still end up paying out-of-pocket expenditures for medical supplies and various services. This can be explained by the fact that the government only devotes around 1% of GDP to health care, resulting in over half of all health expenses being funded by the people themselves.
Those who earn less than RD $4,000 per month are also covered automatically. This cover, however, only extends to the worker and not their family; though it does include maternity care for a spouse.
Those who do not fall into either of these categories must pay their own medical fees. You may work for a company which provides an iguala, which means medical cover at a private, local clinic at no additional cost. There are limitations however - if your clinic does not have the specialist you require, you’ll be forced to visit another clinic where you aren’t covered, thus incurring the costs yourself.
Diet and common health problems
The percentage of diabetes and high blood pressure among the Dominican population is higher than in other countries. The reason for that can be found in a diet which includes a lot of salt, sugar and oil. The average diet in the Dominican Republic largely lacks vitamins and fresh vegetables. It has a high carbohydrate level, mostly because of the rice which is eaten almost on daily basis. In the last ten years, there has been an increase in obesity and heart disease problems in this country.
Smoking
The attitude of this country towards smoking can be seen as quite relaxed. There are very few restaurants and bars that forbid smoking in the Dominican Republic. Air-conditioned restaurants sometimes have a ban on smoking, but this is never the case when it comes to open-air restaurants. Smoking among Dominicans is not so common, largely because of the high price of cigarettes. In recent years pop culture has popularized smoking Hookah in social environments like night clubs and bars.
Other Health Risks
There are a number of insects that people should be aware of, even though they do not bring fatal consequences. Numerous mosquitoes in the Dominican Republic can bring you dengue fever, Zika, malaria, or chikungunya. Cholera and Histoplasmosis are also potential emerging public health problems.
Drinking Water
The water in the Dominican Republic is not safe to drink.
Top Causes of Death
Ischemic Heart Disease
Stroke
Road Injury
Diabetes
Lower Respiratory Infections
Prostate Cancer
Hypertensive Heart Disease
HIV/AIDS
Preterm Birth Complications
Cirrhosis
Life expectancy at birth: W 77/M 71 yrs
Infant mortality rate: 31/1000 live births
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Dominican Republic (CDC/DR) has three disease impact goals:
prevent new cases of HIV in key populations of men who have sex with men (MSM), female sex workers, and priority populations (migrants),
reduce the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB)
reduce the impact of infectious disease outbreaks.
