Background
When I retired, I opted to continue my medical coverage with my company's retirement plan. It started out as being reasonable for the coverage I had, but every year they would raise the premium about $100 per month. To the point that it was getting unaffordable. And, I'm sure this is the case for many of you.
When we moved here, we took on an International Healthcare policy that was pretty reasonable. Like, less than half of what I was paying for the other. At the rate we signed up for, it covered the world - except the United States - if I wanted coverage for the US, then the premium was double - does that tell you something?
When we obtained our residency status in Costa Rica, we were able to sign up to use the Government's National Healthcare Program. This is called the CAJA. Our monthly family premium is about $50 a month and it covers everything - Doctors, Dentists, Hospital, Testing and Prescriptions. There is no co-pay. After signing up for this, I cancelled my International Plan because I never had a need to use it. The Caja is the only insurance I have at this time. If I need something done in a Private facility, I'll pay cash because that comes out to be much less than a Private Insurance Policy - I will explain that later. Now, Stef is a little spoiled and thinks she needs a Private Insurance Policy, so she has one. It costs her about $100 a month and covers just about everything, including her prescriptions.
Healthcare in Costa Rica
Costa Rica offers excellent healthcare in all areas. They have some high-tech equipment that you don't see in the US. The doctors are usually educated in the States and speak very good English. The one thing that really struck out at me was they show that they care for you. This is because the culture here teaches the children to always respect the elderly, and that disapline is carried on through adulthood. In fact, the doctors here will even make house-calls - when was the last time you experienced that?
The cost for healthcare services here is much cheaper than in the US. A few examples from my experiences are:
- An Ultra-sound for $50
- A colonostopy for $320
- An EKG with equipment that let me see and hear my heart beat and some other test that I had in a major hospital affiliated with Baylor University for $250
- A complete eye exam with high-tech equipment that printed out my prescription - $6
Now, one thing that will blow you away is - I have never had to wait for more than 5 minutes to see a doctor, or make my scheduled appointment at a hospital or testing clinic. In fact, at the big fancy hospital, they took me in early for my tests.
Now, a little story that I will never forget - We know a couple from the Northeast who have a home near us. they are very dear friends who spend about 5 months a year in Atenas. He is about 74 years old, but looks healthy as a horse. - One night after a dinner party, he had an attack and had to be taken to the hospital. The Red Cross were out there to the house within 10 minutes after the call - They decided that he needed to go to the hospital - they took him to the Red Cross Clinic in Atenas and transferred him to a specialized ambulance to get him to a Government Owned hospital in nearby Alajuela. In that ambulance was a doctor, a priest, and all kinds of high-tech equipment. On the way to the hospital, the doctor ran a test on my friend. He told him that there was a problem with the lower right side of his heart. They got him to the hospital where he spent the night and was released the next day. Total cost for everything - $327. My friend who was leaving for home to the states the next day was told that he needed to see a doctor in the US to follow-up on his condition. This is what happened..
He returned to the states and immediately went to see his doctor at one of the highest respected medical centers in the country. He had to wait 12 hours for the tests to begin. After a month of tests and what probably cost his insurance company about $30,000 - they told him that he had a problem with the right lower side of his heart. Amazing!!!!
When it comes to Dental Care in Costa Rica, you will be amazed. Costa Rica's second biggest industry is dental care for people from all around the world. Why? Because they do great work at about a 1/3 rd of what it costs in the US. I was paying $50 a month for dental insurance with a large deductible. To get my teeth cleaned, I go to a local dentist who cleans my teeth all by himself and charges me $40.The equipment is similar to that in the states, but for some reason, he does a better job cleaning my teeth than anybody else has in the past. Examples of costs for some dental items are:
- Veniers - $250 each
- Crowns - $250 each
This is a lot to digest, so I think that I am going to break this post up into several parts - In my next post, I will try my best to explain Costa Rica's National and Private Healthcare systems. Until then...
