David M. Says:
My wife and I attended the IL Ultimate Go Overseas Bootcamp over Labor Day weekend.
One of the conclusions we reached was Costa Rica is now on the short list of possible retirement locations for us. When we retire next year, I will be 71 and Annette will be 65.
Dr. Arthur praised healthcare in Costa Rica. He explained there is both public and private insurance available.
Before moving forward with additional research and a scouting trip, it is important for us to know if private health insurance is available for someone my age. Would you recommend any health insurance agents?
IL Contributor Dr. John Michael Arthur Says:
Hola David,
I think you have misunderstood the medical system I was describing in Costa Rica. It is not that there are two insurance plans—it’s that there are two medical systems.
The first is the CAJA—the universal social medical system that all legal residents are a part of. There are no exclusions of any kind—not for age nor for any pre-existing condition.
The second is the private medical system. You don’t use insurance. You simply call the doctor, make the appointment, and pay out-of-pocket for the costs incurred. Costs run about 25% of US costs. Most expats use a combination of the two.
Private insurance is available and as usual, there are exclusions. And the premiums run around $7,000 to $8000 per year. Nobody I know buys it. Why? Because with the low cost of private medical care, you pay less per annum than the premium costs. And if there were some catastrophic event, as a legal resident you have completely free care through the socialized system (CAJA) or you have the option of a return trip to the U.S. to use Medicare.
I hope that helps clear things up.
You can read much more about healthcare and other aspects of life here in Escape to Costa Rica.
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