Costa Rica: A Look at its National Healthcare System and Medical Benefits

If you will be living abroad in Costa Rica you will want to have a good understanding of what types of health benefits the country offers and if expats are eligible to take advantage of those benefits. The health care system in Costa Rica is subsidized by the State and offers low costs and high quality.

If you become a citizen of Costa Rica you will be eligible for free health care as the Costa Rica Social Security System provides free medical services to all Costa Rican citizens. This free service is only available at certain hospitals and clinics though. If you are a foreigner in Costa Rica but have residency in the country you are able to be granted access to the Costa Rica Social Security System health care plan at a small cost. Resident foreigners must make small contributions to the Costa Rica Social Security System health care plan based on their income in order to be eligible for treatment and services under the plan. It is important to stress the only certain hospitals and clinics offer the free or low cost treatment for the Costa Rica Social Security System health care plan.

You do not have to be a resident of Costa Rica to access their hospitals and medical services. In fact the medical services industry is somewhat of a tourist industry in Costa Rica as many people come to Costa Rica each year from all over the world in seek of high quality and low cost health care. This is such big business for Costa Rica that there are a number of clinics that have package deals that include treatment and a stay at a resort.

If you visit a general family doctor and have to pay in full you can expect the cost to be between $25 and $50 for the visit. And if you can pay cash you will be able to get a discount.

If you need an English speaking doctor you should stay in the more populated areas as you are not likely to find an English speaking doctor in the more remote areas. Most of the doctors in Costa Rica were educated in the United States.

If you find your self in need of some prescription medication you may be shocked to find that most prescription medication is available over the counter in Costa Rica. Generic prescription drugs will be cheaper in Costa Rica than you are probably used to. The medication that you encounter that is expensive is the imported drugs. If you have a prescription from your country you should take it to a doctor in Costa Rica to get a new prescription as the brand names will be different as all of the Costa Rican brands are local brands.