I'm a permanent resident of Costa Rica. I am also enrolled in the government Caja. My monthly enrollment cost is only $44.00. This covers everything from meds to surgeries. Being a U.S. military veteran. I also use free VA Healthcare in Costa Rica, under The VA Foreign Medical Program; in private Costa Rican hospitals.
Thank you for sharing that information. I personally was not aware of how the VA healthcare program worked outside of the US until the Doctor mentioned that she had several patients that are vets and use the VA Foreign Medical Program as well.
When visiting as a tourist, I've heard stories about large upfront costs before you can be treated. Is there a medical travel insurance you can get that would not require the large upfront payment?
Hi Richard. Thank you for watching and commenting. In private hospitals they are going to want you put down a credit card to cover any treatment as part of the admission process. During that admission process they will also ask if you have any insurance coverage. If you don't have insurance then they will block enough funds on your credit card to cover what they estimate will be the cost of treatment. If the card is not sufficient they will require a cash deposit to their bank account. You can purchase international travel insurance policies or purchase from local Costa Rican insurance companies and the hospital will contact those insurance companies during admission to determine if they will cover your hospitalization.
We checked with a cardiologist In Liberia (Guanacaste), who advised that surgery such as artery stent placement has to be done in San Jose. My husband suffered a 100% arterial blockage at our home in Florida, and thanks to our proximity to the cardiac center at our local hospital, he survived "the widow maker". Considering the traffic congestion in CR, it seems to preclude our living in the countryside. Any suggestions ?
Hi, Mary thank you for your comment. I am glad to hear your husband is doing great after that experience. I know that some of the major private hospitals in San Jose have had plans to put a facility near Liberia given the population growth and popularity of the nearby beaches. With major investment projects and expansion of the international airport in Liberia, I would hope to see a facility in that area that could avoid having to travel to San Jose. Until then I think the wise option for any of us is to meet with our physician and explain to them the plans that we have and where we want to live and then based on their knowledge of our medical condition, they can then either give us the green light to proceed or caution us of the potential risks from being further away from the type of emergency care facility we would need to use.
I did have a question about private insurance as it relates to INS, the government sponsored private insurance. Any thoughts as to if it is as good as Cigna or others I've inquired about. Those are very expensive.
Thank you for that question. I have only heard second hand from individuals that have the INS policy. If it is for a procedure that has been planned in advance and they have given all the approvals before admission then it works fine. In the event of an emergency this particular person had to put down a credit card at the hospital to pay and then seek reimbursement. It would be interesting to hear the experiences from others that have the policy since my information is second hand. The other alternative international policies can be very expensive depending on age.
The socialized healthcare in costa rica forces private companies to be more competitive with services and prices which is great. For some services like childbirth without complications or vaccinations the caja is wonderful. Overall its best to be avoided and more akin to a backup option you hope you never have to use. Even many struggling ticos with caja will simply pay out of pocket for private healthcare due to how bad the service/care in the public hospitals. Private clinics and hospitals here overall are great if you don't need a specialist to diagnose a complicated problem and you are fairly sure what needs to be done.
I read somewhere that in 1948; Costa Rica abolished their military; used the money to fund their universal healthcare system; the medical students were sent to the United States; Europe to further their medical education; and returned home to serve the healthcare system!
Hi and thank you for watching and commenting. Yes, the army was abolished after the civil war of 1948. Costa Rica does have a universal health care system run by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social - CCSS. It is funded by contributions from the government, Employer payroll contributions and employee payroll contributions. Yes in the early days Costa Rican doctors were trained in the United States, Europe and Mexico and it was mandatory for them and any other local doctor to serve in the public health care system for a set period of time.
i have needed a prolapse repair and have been 3 different times to the caja... cannot even get an appointment for an exam. Its been since July 23 I have been waiting... We have paid over $22,000 for -0- service from caja...in less than 20 years here. it is a broken system. The mandatory payment does not give one any advantage. The private pay is excellent, and we have used it several times as neccessary. Even our caja Doctor would have had to wait 4 years for a neccessary opperation in order tokeep working withing the caja system.
Hi Alana thank you for watching and sharing your experience. The current government often talks about the need to eliminate the extensive surgery backlog in the system. However, we have not seen any concrete plan to actually do so. Combining the private system for medical visits is very feasible and quick and hence the growth of private medical facilities in Costa Rica.
@@CostaRicaLaw I know C,R, inside out and outside in, your 100%,+right, still I take C,R, you talk about health care, but never talked about, how THIERS a lot of people over 100,+yrs , old in C,R, Guanacaste, on your next one please say this, PURA VIDA
no, that's not how it works. Obamacara subsidizes private insurance cost. If Costa Rica tried to changes la Caja for the obamacare model you would have weekslong protest.
I'm a permanent resident of Costa Rica. I am also enrolled in the government Caja. My monthly enrollment cost is only $44.00. This covers everything from meds to surgeries. Being a U.S. military veteran. I also use free VA Healthcare in Costa Rica, under The VA Foreign Medical Program; in private Costa Rican hospitals.
Thank you for sharing that information. I personally was not aware of how the VA healthcare program worked outside of the US until the Doctor mentioned that she had several patients that are vets and use the VA Foreign Medical Program as well.
The VA will only pay for service connected disabilities overseas.@@CostaRicaLaw
The VA will only pay for service connected disabilities overseas.
Facebook?
Thank you Roger for this informative interview with Dr. Preinfalk. She was very insightful.
Teri. Dr. Preinfalk and I appreciate your feedback and thank you for watching and commenting.
@@CostaRicaLaw such great information, I shared with my friends! Thanks again.
@@ZarpeParadise Thank you, I appreciate you sharing the information
This is great info and summarizes all the things that I have been reading online nicely!
Thank you for watching and I appreciate your feedback so we can continue to produce more videos.
This was very instructive. Thank you so much for sharing all of this information!
Glad you found the information helpful and thank you for watching the video.
Excellent information Roger. Much appreciated
Thank you for watching and giving me your feedback.
Great Video, very informative. Thank you for all the information
Thank you for watching and your feedback
Hey Roger, Thanks again for another great video.
Hi John. Good to hear from you and thank you for your continued support of the videos.
Thanks so much Roger
You welcome
When visiting as a tourist, I've heard stories about large upfront costs before you can be treated. Is there a medical travel insurance you can get that would not require the large upfront payment?
Hi Richard. Thank you for watching and commenting. In private hospitals they are going to want you put down a credit card to cover any treatment as part of the admission process. During that admission process they will also ask if you have any insurance coverage. If you don't have insurance then they will block enough funds on your credit card to cover what they estimate will be the cost of treatment. If the card is not sufficient they will require a cash deposit to their bank account. You can purchase international travel insurance policies or purchase from local Costa Rican insurance companies and the hospital will contact those insurance companies during admission to determine if they will cover your hospitalization.
We checked with a cardiologist In Liberia (Guanacaste), who advised that surgery such as artery stent placement has to be done in San Jose. My husband suffered a 100% arterial blockage at our home in Florida, and thanks to our proximity to the cardiac center at our local hospital, he survived "the widow maker". Considering the traffic congestion in CR, it seems to preclude our living in the countryside. Any suggestions ?
Hi, Mary thank you for your comment. I am glad to hear your husband is doing great after that experience. I know that some of the major private hospitals in San Jose have had plans to put a facility near Liberia given the population growth and popularity of the nearby beaches. With major investment projects and expansion of the international airport in Liberia, I would hope to see a facility in that area that could avoid having to travel to San Jose. Until then I think the wise option for any of us is to meet with our physician and explain to them the plans that we have and where we want to live and then based on their knowledge of our medical condition, they can then either give us the green light to proceed or caution us of the potential risks from being further away from the type of emergency care facility we would need to use.
@@CostaRicaLaw Thanks, Roger ! Great advice - as always !
I did have a question about private insurance as it relates to INS, the government sponsored private insurance. Any thoughts as to if it is as good as Cigna or others I've inquired about. Those are very expensive.
Thank you for that question. I have only heard second hand from individuals that have the INS policy. If it is for a procedure that has been planned in advance and they have given all the approvals before admission then it works fine. In the event of an emergency this particular person had to put down a credit card at the hospital to pay and then seek reimbursement. It would be interesting to hear the experiences from others that have the policy since my information is second hand. The other alternative international policies can be very expensive depending on age.
@@CostaRicaLaw Thanks for you quick and informative reply.
thanks, good video!
Thank you for your feedback and comment much appreciated.
The socialized healthcare in costa rica forces private companies to be more competitive with services and prices which is great. For some services like childbirth without complications or vaccinations the caja is wonderful. Overall its best to be avoided and more akin to a backup option you hope you never have to use. Even many struggling ticos with caja will simply pay out of pocket for private healthcare due to how bad the service/care in the public hospitals. Private clinics and hospitals here overall are great if you don't need a specialist to diagnose a complicated problem and you are fairly sure what needs to be done.
Thank you for watching and commenting. I think you are right on point with your observations between the private and public healthcare system.
I read somewhere that in 1948; Costa Rica abolished their military; used the money to fund their universal healthcare system; the medical students were sent to the United States; Europe to further their medical education; and returned home to serve the healthcare system!
Hi and thank you for watching and commenting. Yes, the army was abolished after the civil war of 1948. Costa Rica does have a universal health care system run by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social - CCSS. It is funded by contributions from the government, Employer payroll contributions and employee payroll contributions. Yes in the early days Costa Rican doctors were trained in the United States, Europe and Mexico and it was mandatory for them and any other local doctor to serve in the public health care system for a set period of time.
i have needed a prolapse repair and have been 3 different times to the caja... cannot even get an appointment for an exam. Its been since July 23 I have been waiting... We have paid over $22,000 for -0- service from caja...in less than 20 years here. it is a broken system. The mandatory payment does not give one any advantage. The private pay is excellent, and we have used it several times as neccessary.
Even our caja Doctor would have had to wait 4 years for a neccessary opperation in order tokeep working withing the caja system.
Hi Alana thank you for watching and sharing your experience. The current government often talks about the need to eliminate the extensive surgery backlog in the system. However, we have not seen any concrete plan to actually do so. Combining the private system for medical visits is very feasible and quick and hence the growth of private medical facilities in Costa Rica.
I can get an ecg in 15 minutes in the usa...Go to the local fire station
Two health care insurance, in C,R, one is like Government caja socialist health care is like Obama care, and one is the private health care,
Thank you for your comment about the two health insurance systems
@@CostaRicaLaw I know C,R, inside out and outside in, your 100%,+right, still I take C,R, you talk about health care, but never talked about, how THIERS a lot of people over 100,+yrs , old in C,R, Guanacaste, on your next one please say this, PURA VIDA
no, that's not how it works. Obamacara subsidizes private insurance cost. If Costa Rica tried to changes la Caja for the obamacare model you would have weekslong protest.
No bueno.
Pᵣₒmₒˢᵐ 💥