Expats Talk about Health Insurance and Healthcare in Pucon, Chile

"Public healthcare costs 7% of your monthly income for expats residing here. It covers everything including dental and vision. Services are free unless you see a private specialist and then you have a copay that is about 9 dollars to 20 dollars. Doctors visits are thorough and not rushed, anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour. Doctors go to National Universities that are free and only the best graduate so they are the best. Does not depend on how rich your family is, how well connected they are or how well they play football. Medications are delivered to our front door and are free. Ambulances are free, physical therapists come for free, it just prooves that National healthcare not for profit can be afforded by this third world country," mentioned one expat in Pucon.

" There are two clinics in Pucon, One is municipal and is free or inexpensive. The Pucon Medical Center has emergency services with ambulances. Villarica is 20 Km away and also has a hospital and ambulance services. Temuco is about an hour away and has a large German Hospital with excelent services as well as other hospitals and clinics both public and private. The doctors in Chile get a free education but only the brightest graduate. Most public services are free and the same doctors have to work for the public hospitals for years to pay for their education. Even if you have to pay full price for medical services in the German Hospital, it will cost less than your copay would cost with insurance in the US. Waiting times are much shorter than what I experience with insurance in the US. ," said one expat living in Pucon.

"I have received my first dose of vaccine. The second one is due mid March. The local hospital and municipal health center provide free testing upon request. They monitor the infected people that are quarentened to their homes daily and publish the information daily. The cases that require hospitalization are transferred to the main hospital in Temuco. All Covid services are free regardless of coverage," commented one expat living in Pucon, Chile.