1
Public Healthcare (SENASA / SeNaSa)
The Dominican Republic's public healthcare is administered through SENASA (Seguro Nacional de Salud) and provides basic coverage. Quality varies significantly between urban and rural facilities.
- SENASA covers employed workers and their dependents through employer contributions — 3.04% employee, 7.09% employer
- Public hospitals in Santo Domingo (Hospital Darío Contreras, Salvador Gautier) handle emergencies and basic care
- Quality in public facilities varies dramatically — urban hospitals are adequate; rural clinics often under-resourced
- Wait times in public system can be long — 2–6 hours for non-emergency visits is common
- Most expats avoid the public system entirely and use private hospitals with insurance
- Prescription drugs: generics widely available at pharmacies (Farmacia Carol, GBC) at low cost — no prescription needed for many medications