Expat Community > Portugal

Hinase
Joined 2023
Posts: 7

Healthcare

Thursday

Hi Delia, Bob and all Ya'll, : ). Yep, I'm a Texan or was.
Delia, privately acquired healthcare facilities and service are good, very affordable and readily available. Be aware that this is country that is smaller than some states in the US and less densely populated. Yet, you'll be amazed at what is here.
There simply aren't as many healthcare professionals and their professional opportunities are limited as are their incomes (federally regulated). Unless they're able to begin a private practise it can be hard for them to become wealthy as compared do US opportunities because they have to keep the charges for their services competitively priced.
This all translates to; Complicated medical procedures involving more advanced medical disciplines might be better in other countries. So leave yourself a back door approach to these possible circumstances, if you can.
Study the quality of health care service, worldwide, and know where you might want to go for advanced surgical procedures. You can obtain relative costs for these, as well, online.
The statistics that I last saw rated Portugal 28th in the world for quality of healthcare facilitation when the US was 49th. Yet the US is the highest in the world for cost of healthcare and procedures. Sooo, you guessed it, some surgical procedure provisions are rated among the highest in the world for the US. Well, why not, the money is there.
There will be compromises that you will have to consider, resulting from living here, so study the matter diligently before making your decision,
I use Mudum (acquired through our bank) as our primary healthcare insurer with ACP as our co-insurer, secondary co-pay. Our healthcare provision network is CUF and we are so far, delighted with them. Our combined cost for Mudum is 67 Eu per month and ACP (totally elective) is 14 Eu. I can give you the reasoning behind these selection if you're interested.
We have a small home in Japan, also. If we were to need neurosurgery, for example, I would likely go to Japan for that. However, my wife is 100 % Korean, in decent, so I might go to South Korea for some other procedures because Korea is rated #1 and Japan #2 worldwide for the quality of healthcare services, We have another type of visa for Korea. They also rate very highly for many surgical procedures. You may or may not have these options but explore your options and see if you can arrive at a plan A and B and so on. Surprisingly, many procedures, worldwide are very affordable as a cash payment options so don't forget to consider what advantages each country may offer you.
Thailand, surprisingly rates very highly is some of these but be careful if you go there. Being a global citizen is much easier than one might expect and please believe, I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be one.
The bottom line, for us, was to drop, our medical insurances in the US, including Medicare, purchase private insurance in Pt, and bank the differences in costs, Because the difference in medical insurance costs between the US an Pt pays our entire living expense here. Yes, that is a fact.

I ask this of nearly everyone that reads this post ; please, consider the financial advantages that you have when you come over the Portuguese population, in general. Please know that the expat population and ongoing expansion of it has escalated their cost of living. Real estate and consumer goods have sky rocketed in cost to their way of thinking.
While they may not be considering that their net worth, by way of increase in property value, has also risen, it isn't enough to offset the cost of their daily existence. Plus, most of the younger population doesn't own and can't afford, unless inherited, to buy real estate.
Please be respectful and compassionate with them when you come here. You'l find their hearts to be warm and open and their individual wealth to better than you might expect. Why; because they budget and strategically plan their financial situations. They have to. This is not a have it all now, finance through the bank, overly extended, throw it away society.

Delia I hope this helps but I'm here if you have any other questions.

Best Regards and Luck.
Larry
Much of luck is simple formatted by the choices that we make.

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