Costa Rica's history of commitment to health and social reform has yielded the best health outcomes of any country in Latin America. These outcomes are the result of a well-developed publicly funded comprehensive health care system built on the principals of universal coverage and equity.
In 1995 the World Health Organization showed that Costa Rica life expectancy was third longest in the world behind Japan and France. This is quite an acievement for a country with a per capita income that is roughly one tenth that of their counterparts.
The relaxed lifestyle and fresh, non preservative laden foods of Costa Rica along with the tropical climate makes it a healthy place to live. Costa Rica separates iteself from the rest because its government has continued a long-tim commitment to provide affordable access to health care to everyone.
"It's not the surgeons who have provided this, but the entire history of our country that gives us this advantage" said renowned Costa Rican cosmetic surgeon Dr. Arnoldo Fournier.
As always with nationalized health care, expect red tape and long waits, but the quality of Costa Rica's health care is excellent. Private health care is also available, very affordable and high quality. Many doctors speak English and have received training in Europe, Canada or the United States.
Dental and Costmetic Health Care
Around 150,000 foreigners sought care in Costa Rica in 2006, according to the NCPA report published last November. Often, foreign patients travel to Costa Rica for the low costs of dental work and plastic surgery.
Cosmetic Surgery, cosmetic dentistry and gastric bypass surgery are Costa Rica's hidden treasure but not a well-kept secret. East year thousands of men and women take advantage of the low-cost, high-quality care provided by Costa Rica's cosmetic surgeons and dentists.
Health and Medical Insurance in Costa Rica
Canadians or anyone traveling to Costa Rica can use any internation insurance carrier that will pay for any medical expenses. Do some research on this because you have options! As with ANY insurance policy, always check for important provisions such as pre-existing conditions, age limits, cancellation policy and so on. Although foreigners can use any international insurance provider, Costa Rica has two major health insurance plans available for purchase domestically.
INS (Instituto Nacional de Seguros) offers medical insurance. The group plan offered by the Addociation of Residents of Costa Rica would save about 10% of the cost of the premium. However, there is a limit of about $17,500 per year and it does not cover pre-existing conditions or check ups.
An alternative to the INS plan is the CCSS plan (Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social). This is the government medical plan that most Costa Rican have. The plan covers pre-existing conditions, doctor visits, prescription drugs, examinations, hospitalization, dental and eyes. There is no limit on annual amounts paid out by the plan. A doctor and clinic is addigned to the patient. Lines and the processes can be long but you will get decent care!
While you cannot buy health insurance in Costa Rica from any other company other than INS or CCSS, other international policies are perfectly legal to purchase and many have payment arrangements already in place with eceral hospitals in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica's Private Health Care System
With a government sponsored network of more than 30 hospitals and more than 250 clinics throughout the country, the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) has primarily responsibility for providing low-cost health care services to the Costa Rican populance. Although sometimes overburdened, this system has worked well for Costa Ricans for over 60 years. Open not just to Costa Rican residents, the CCSS provides affordable medical service to any foreign resident or visitor.
Foreigners living in Costa Rica can join the CCSS by paying a small monthly fee-based on income- or they can buy insurance from the state monopoly Institute de Seguro Nacional (INS), valid with over 200 affiliated doctors, hospitals, labs and phamacies in the private sector.
Costa Rica's Government-Run Health Care System
Many of the country's highly trained physicians and some dentists work in the mornings for the CCSS and operate their own offices and clinics in the afternoons and evenings. While private health care in Costa Rica is more expensive than that offered by the same doctors and surgeons through the CCSS, the prive is still far below that of the average office visit in the United States.
For example, a private office visit to almost any medical specialist costs around $40. Continued treatments for diagnosed problems will vary but will almost always be considerably less than comparable treatment in the United States. Dental work is also provided at a much lower cost- prompting a phenomenon known as "health tourism".
Two well-known private hospitals, Clinica Biblica and Clinica Catolica, where many CCSS doctors practice in the afternoons and eventings offer first-class, ultra modern services. Affiliated with United States hospitals, these two private providers have costs somewhat higher than the public providers but still considerably below anything found in the United States.