Louis D. Says:
Dear IL,
I’m looking at moving to Uruguay. What’s the deal there for someone with a long-term medical condition?
IL Contributor in Uruguay David Hammond Writes:
Uruguay’s one of the countries where there are options for expats with pre-existing conditions. The concept is called the mutualista.
A mutualista is a hospital-based membership plan, which provides medical services directly to its enrolled members. Covered services include doctor visits, most tests and procedures, surgery, emergency-room care, and hospitalization. You also get good discounts on medications.
In Uruguay, you can choose from dozens of mutualistas. One that’s popular with many expats is Asociación Española, headquartered in Montevideo with a satellite location in Punta del Este.
The cost of a mutualista includes a monthly membership fee (currently $50 to $60) plus a copayment when you use the hospital’s services. Copayments often range from around $5 for a doctor visit to $15 for a test.
Note: Mutualistas are private organizations that set their own acceptance guidelines for age and pre-existing conditions for retired expats. At some mutualistas the level of scrutiny increases for new applicants over age 65.
Premium hospital plans
The British Hospital and Seguro Americano, both in Montevideo, offer premium healthcare plans, which often cost $300 to $400 per month. The British Hospital doesn’t accept new members over 60. However, Seguro Americano does.
Private 24-hour emergency response
Some hospital plans and mutualistas include emergency response medical care and ambulance service. Others don’t, but you can buy a separate mobile response plan for between $25 and $35 per person per month.
Uruguay’s public healthcare system
Thirty eight percent of Uruguay’s population uses the public healthcare system, called the Administration of State Health Services. It’s known as ASSE (it’s acronym in Spanish). Its major point of interest for expats? No restrictions for age or pre-existing conditions.
ASSE facilities are often bare-bones, and waiting times can be long. However, any legal resident can get accepted. And, as an ASSE member, you can sometimes get access to Hospital de Clínicas, the university training hospital in Montevideo.
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