Expat Community > Ecuador

19naia
Joined 2014
Posts: 54

New rules? Tourist will be made to pay health insurance?

7 years ago

So i read an update to immigration laws in Ecuador that was signed in.
Says it will take effect 180 days from the time of entering public record.
I hope it wasn't click bait with false news. ?

Speaks of the fines for over stay or other breaches of terms of stay. Seems increases.
And seems renewal of basic Tourist visa is cheaper, but i am not exactly sure what cost it was before.
But the main thing is that it says all people entering Ecuador under any immgration category, will have to have medical insurance.
So tourist will be required to pay insurance just to be allowed in. Around 6 months from now is when it is supposed to start being enforced.
So, what insurance options are there for tourists of short term stay? And how much is it?
Will they have a payment portal into the sate medical system at the airports and land borders? Will the Immigration officers process the payments themselves or will tourist have to prearrange coverage before seeing immigration?
What is the cost for the the kind of insurance a short term tourist will be riquired to have?
I read elsewhere that the prices of insurance for immigrant residents(expats) was put to a bid for increases. I am wondering if that means to expect Tourist to end up also paying the inflated gringo price for insurance they most often will never use? Young tourist coming in for a few months have a slim chance of needing medical coverage, i hope they abandoned the gringo pricing of insurance for expats and have instead, the tourist being required to buy at the usual regular prices, as a way to bolster the pool for medical care costs in the country.
Other wise it looks like Ecuador may be in on a lucrative way to fleece foreigners for a Medical insurance pool so flush with cash, it spills over into the general funds if not turning Ecuador health care into a top ranked world class service.

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New rules? Tourist will be made to pay health insurance?

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