Expat Healthcare Advice for Playa Jaco
In Costa Rica, you must be a resident of the country to qualify for
CAJA also know as the national socialized medicine. Additionally, this is not an option but a requirement of your residency here. The monthly fee is calculated based on your income. The local clinic also known as EBAIS is centrally located. If you are in the area, familiarize yourself with it's location. If you are not a resident, there are several private care physicians in the area and they are well educated and professional. If you do not speak Spanish, there are many that are bilingual. I know of at least one that has a 24 hour facility for emergencies. Additionally, specialists from the Central Valley visit these private care facilities on a monthly basis so if you need specialized care, it is available. At present, a general office visit in a private care facility is $40-$45.
Emergency Medical Care in Playa Jaco
The closest is
EBAIS Jaco and this is one of the offices in the socialized medicine of CR. There is an emergency room, lab facility and pharmacy at this location along with general medicine physicians. The emergency room service is generally very quick! If your condition warrants more specialized care, you will be stabilized and transported to
Puntarenas Hospital known as Monsenor Sanabria. This higher level of hospital care is one hour from Jaco. For private care, the 24 hour facility will assess your condition and either treat you at their facility or transport you to the hospital of your choice in San Jose in the Cental Valley. This is approximately 90 minutes from San Jose. Private hospitals in San Jose are
CIMA,
Biblica,
Catolica,
Metropolitan.
Learn MoreGet Quote
Relocating abroad soon? Make your move with AGS! AGS Worldwide Movers is a leader in the international moving industry. Our experience and expertise allows us to guarantee our clients the best quality moving services.
Connect
Relocating abroad soon? Make your move with AGS! AGS Worldwide Movers is a leader in the international moving industry. Our experience and expertise allows us to guarantee our clients the best quality moving services.
Quality of Healthcare in Surrounding Area
We have been to CIMA and Catolica. Both these facilities are excellent! The physicians were profesional, thorough and well educated. The care was better than what we experienced stateside. The physician followed up with us after our care for several weeks. And we were given private cell phone numbers to contact in case of complications. My husband spent three nights at CIMA in Escazu near San Jose. He had a private room (all rooms in this facility are private!) with attached private bathroom. There was a sofa in the room which turned into a bed so that I was able to spend the day and evenings there. The hospital cafeteria was excellent! Yes that's a surprise and gives an upscale meaning to hospital food! This is one instance where we decided to have treatment at a private facility vs. the socialized medicine. Be aware that at these facilities, you will need to submit a credit card or private health care card in order to be treated. The cost was dramatically less than if this procedure was done stateside. It is very common for residents to use the socialized medicine for some issues, private health care for others (which means you pay out of pocket) and also have another
health insurance policy for others health issues.
Prescription Medicines
If you are enrolled in the CAJA (socialized medicine),
prescriptions are free at the local clinic after being prescribed by the CAJA physician. Sometimes generic forms of the medicine are available. If you are on a very specialized prescription, you may need to purchase this at a local pharmacy (farmacia) and you would be required to incur the expense but generally most medicine is available thru the CAJA. If you choose to purchase your prescriptions outside of the CAJA system, there are at least ten farmacias in Jaco and the surrounding area. You will not need a prescription for most any medicine with the exception of intense narcotics. If you need something of that degree, a private care physician can prescribe them for you. Some prescriptions are higher costing than the US such as Allegra, simple asprin, etc. Generally speaking if you can purchase it stateside in a bottle of (for example) 365 pills it is less expensive to do so as packaging here is by individual blister pack pills. Other meds are dramatically less expensive than the states. Resident discounts are generally offered in the amount of 10% at
farmacias for local residents.
AGS Worldwide MoversGet QuoteRelocating abroad soon? Make your move with AGS! AGS Worldwide Movers is a leader in the international moving industry. Our experience and expertise allows us to guarantee our clients the best quality moving services.
AGS Worldwide MoversRelocating abroad soon? Make your move with AGS! AGS Worldwide Movers is a leader in the international moving industry. Our experience and expertise allows us to guarantee our clients the best quality moving services.
Get Quote
Expat Health Insurance in Costa Rica
I had private health insurance in Costa Rica for several years prior to being a member of the socialized medicine care. It was less expensive that the states. In many cases, your private health insurance will allow you the hospital of your choice.
Healthcare in Costa Rica
Costa Rica has both public and private healthcare systems. When you become a resident, you must enroll in the public healthcare system (CAJA). Many expats use the public system for routine healthcare and have private expat health insurance for specialists, surgeries and emergencies.
Top Hospitals in Costa Rica by Specialty
If you're moving to Costa Rica or recently arrived, it's important to know about the country's top hospitals for specific medical conditions. Here's a primer.
If you're moving to Costa Rica or recently arrived, it's important to know about the country's top hospitals for specific medical conditions. Here's a primer. ...
Mental Health Care in Costa Rica
The expatriate lifestyle can be stressful when living away from home. It's vital to have knowledge of the mental healthcare system in Costa Rica, should the need arise for such services.
The expatriate lifestyle can be stressful when living away from home. It's vital to have knowledge of the mental healthcare system in Costa Rica, should the need arise for such services....
Is Health Insurance Required When Moving to Costa Rica?
Is health insurance a requirement when you are moving to Costa Rica? This article explores health insurance requirements for newcomers to Costa Rica.
Is health insurance a requirement when you are moving to Costa Rica? This article explores health insurance requirements for newcomers to Costa Rica. ...
Costa Rica Healthcare FAQ
Answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about healthcare and health insurance for expats in Costa Rica.
Answer Questions about Healthcare in Costa Rica
Help others moving to Costa Rica by answering a set of questions about health insurance, public healthcare in Costa Rica, prescription medicine, quality of medical care and emergency services.