Botswana Travel Insurance
Everything you need to know before your trip
Healthcare Cost Level
Moderate
Avg. ER Visit
$150
Recommended Coverage
$250,000
Evacuation Risk
High
Healthcare in Botswana
What to expect if you need medical care
Botswana's healthcare system offers adequate quality care with good English availability, making communication straightforward if you need medical attention. However, costs add up quickly even for moderate issues—an emergency room visit averages $150, while a hospital stay runs about $300 per day. These are the baseline costs, and they don't account for specialist treatments, surgeries, or medications. The real challenge isn't the cost of routine care, but rather the limited availability of advanced medical facilities. Most healthcare infrastructure is concentrated in urban areas, leaving vast stretches of wilderness without nearby hospitals. Specialist care is particularly limited, which is why serious cases often require transfer to South Africa's more comprehensive medical facilities.
What Your Policy Should Cover
Country-specific considerations for Botswana
Your policy needs to address Botswana's unique combination of health and adventure risks. First, ensure you have malaria coverage, as there's high risk especially from October to May. Second, verify that your policy explicitly covers safari activities and wildlife-related injuries—you'll likely encounter elephants, hippos, and other dangerous animals year-round. Third, check if mokoro trips (traditional canoe excursions) and other water-based activities are included, as these may have limited coverage under standard policies. Fourth, confirm coverage for camping in remote areas where evacuation times are extended. Finally, ensure your policy covers waterborne diseases and heat exhaustion, both moderate risks in Botswana's climate, particularly during the hotter months from October to March.
Malaria
High Risk
Peak: October to May
Wildlife Encounters
Moderate Risk
Peak: year-round
Heat Exhaustion
Moderate Risk
Peak: October to March
Waterborne Diseases
Moderate Risk
Peak: year-round
Activity-Specific Coverage
Safari Activities: Ensure coverage includes wildlife-related injuries
Mokoro Trips: Water-based activities may have limited coverage
Camping In Remote Areas: Extended evacuation times may affect coverage limits
How Much Coverage Do You Need?
Our recommendation based on Botswana's healthcare costs
The recommended $250,000 coverage reflects Botswana's high evacuation risk rather than daily healthcare costs. While an ER visit costs $150 and hospitalization runs $300 per day, the real expense is medical evacuation from remote locations like the Okavango Delta to South Africa. These air ambulance transfers, combined with treatment at South African facilities and potential repatriation, can easily exceed $100,000. The $250,000 recommendation provides a safety buffer for complex emergencies requiring extended specialist care, multiple evacuations, or complications from wildlife encounters or tropical diseases.
Minimum
$100,000
Basic emergencies only
Recommended
$250,000
Full protection
Making a Claim in Botswana
Tips for smooth claims processing
Documentation Required: Medical reports, receipts, police reports for incidents involving wildlife or accidents, evacuation coordination records
- Keep all medical reports and receipts immediately, as you'll need comprehensive documentation for claims—Botswana's moderate claims difficulty means thorough paperwork is essential
- If you have any wildlife encounter or accident, obtain a police report at the time of the incident, as this specific documentation is required for claims processing
- Document all evacuation coordination records if you're transferred between facilities or to South Africa, including flight manifests and medical transfer authorizations
- Take photos of any injuries from wildlife encounters or activities, as visual evidence supports claims for safari-related incidents
- Save contact information for any medical facilities you visit, even for minor issues, as follow-up documentation requests are common given the moderate claims difficulty
Get Covered for Botswana
Adventure destinations like Botswana require solid evacuation coverage. Don't leave without it.
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