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Expat Exchange - Are expats eligible to enroll in CAJA (Costa Rica's public healthcare and pension system)?
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Are expats eligible to enroll in CAJA (Costa Rica's public healthcare and pension system)?

By Betsy Burlingame

Universal Tax Professionals
Universal Tax Professionals

Summary: If you are moving to Costa Rica, one question that you'll want to ask is if you are eligible for CAJA or public healthcare.

"Once you have Costa Rican residency you could just rely on CR public healthcare (CAJA), which you will be required to pay for. Some do that and some also buy worldwide insurance as we have done. I do use the public health care for routine medical visits and prescriptions, but I use private health care for more critical health issues. Public health care can be of varied quality in CR and is often overloaded," wrote one expat in a thread about medical coverage for retirees.

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About the Author

Betsy Burlingame Betsy Burlingame is the Founder and President of Expat Exchange and is one of the Founders of Digital Nomad Exchange. She launched Expat Exchange in 1997 as her Master's thesis project at NYU. Prior to Expat Exchange, Betsy worked at AT&T in International and Mass Market Marketing. She graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a BA in International Business and German.

Some of Betsy's articles include 12 Best Places to Live in Portugal, 7 Best Places to Live in Panama and 12 Things to Know Before Moving to the Dominican Republic. Betsy loves to travel and spend time with her family. Connect with Betsy on LinkedIn.


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