For those considering retiring in the Cayman Islands making sure you have adequate health insurance coverage as you move into your golden years can be a huge issue. Here we explain in detail what our research has uncovered.
All residents of the Cayman Islands, regardless of age, are required to have health insurance coverage from an approved Cayman Islands health insurer, and all health insurance companies are required, at the very least, to offer residents the minimum coverage which is called the SHIC plan (Standard Health Insurance Coverage). See this page for approved health insurance providers in the Cayman Islands. However, some Cayman health insurance companies (One Health and Aetna) only offer group plans with a minimum of 10-20 people, so unless your company can create a ‘retirees’ plan for you then you cannot get health insurance from them. CG Britcay only offers people over 65 the SHIC plan, and you have to go through a broker to get it. There are three insurance brokers who specialise in offering health insurance plans to retirees and these are Bogle Insurance, Cayman Insurance Centre and Financial Integrated Services. Cayman First, BIF Insurance and Vanguard also offer the SHIC plan and as an individual you can go to them directly to get health insurance coverage.
The SHIC plan will cost a healthy 65 year old CI$167 per month, but if you have serious health issues, or have ever had cancer, it could well be double, triple or more per month. This plan will cover your legal requirement to have health insurance, but the amount it covers you for is generally acknowledged to be woefully inadequate! Your annual maximum coverage is CI$100,000 and the plan has a lifetime maximum of CI$1,000,000.
Vanguard is a good local option that covers people over the age of 65, and you can go to them directly or through a broker to get a plan. In July 2025 they quoted us CI$167 for the SHIC plan, CI$700 for their Select plan, CI$838 for their Choice plan and CI$2,000 for their Platinum plan (per individual aged 65). They appear to be the only insurance company in Cayman that offers premier plans to retirees. You will however, pay more if you have a pre-existing condition, and the cost of the plan will go up each year, especially if you use it.
However, if you already have a basic SHIC plan, so that you are legally covered in the Cayman Islands according to the Health Insurance Act (2021 Revision), then you can also get an overseas health insurance policy that is an increasingly popular option with Cayman's community of retirees. For example, Cigna is a good option, and although they are an overseas insurance company, they do cover the Cayman Islands. You can use any doctor or private hospital, the plans can offer unlimited annual coverage, and if you are prepared to customise your plan so that you have an annual deductible, the fees are reasonable. They also have no maximum age, nor do their fees go up each year. For more information email: katie.singleton@cignahealthcare.com.
Another good option that covers Cayman, is IMG. They offer worldwide coverage, and again you can customise your plan so that it excludes certain countries and has a deductible. We were quoted US$2,600 per month for two people aged 65, with worldwide coverage, a US$250 deductible and CI$5 million per person maximum lifetime coverage. It does not, however, extend to people over the age of 74. If you are prepared to have the same plan, but with a US$5,000 deductible and exclude the USA and Canada, then the cost is US$1,191 per month for two people aged 65 for their Silver plan. For a quote email: richard@4tdomrep.com or check out www.imglobal.com where you can play around with the options and get a quote.
If this information is useful, or you find other useful information on this subject, please do let me know so that we can share it with others who are either already in Cayman or thinking of moving here. My email is Joanna@acorn.ky. Thanks!
