Live Longer, Relax More, Enjoy Healthy Living And Amazing First-Class Medical Care In The #1 Latin America Country For Quality of Life
What you need to know.
Costa Rica has excellent healthcare. Our leading hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission International, Costa Rican Ministry of Health, and local authorities which issue licenses. CIMA Clinic and several others are owned and operated by leading American medical corporations with the latest advanced health technology and equipment, highly skilled nursing staff, doctors in every department. Complimented by compassionate and caring health professionals who are genuinely concerned about you.
Costa Rica currently has 2 JCI accredited hospitals, both located in San Jose, the capital city.
CIMA Hospital – San Jose, Costa Rica since 2008. This hospital is also ISO-certified and was the first hospital to be certified by the Costa Rican Ministry of Health for quality processes.
Clinica Biblica Hospital – San Jose, Costa Rica
Clinica Biblica received JCI accreditation in 2007. Founded in 1929 by missionaries, it is the largest private clinic in Costa Rica. It has grown into a high-quality medical facility with 120 inpatients and up to 5,000 outpatients per day. The clinic has a dedicated medical tourism department, whose staff is fluent in Spanish and English.
Costa Rica has some of the best healthcare facilities in Latin America. Citizens and residents can access two systems: the public universal health care system, known as Caja, and the private health system.
CAJA comes with full coverage. You don’t need to pay anything when visiting the hospital. Doctor’s fees, hospital fees, surgery fees, and so on are already covered. One of the best things about CAJA is that it covers pre-existing conditions.
Whatever illness or condition you have, CAJA will usually pay for your medical expenses in full.
Both health systems in Costa Rica are constantly being upgraded. There are new hospitals, new equipment, and improvements in staff training.
Many doctors, especially those who work privately, speak English and have been trained in Europe, Canada, or the United States. Many prescription drugs in North America can be bought without a prescription in Costa Rica. Prescriptions are 25-30% lower than US prices and available over the counter. Quality dental care is 25-30% of US Prices with modern treatment rooms, the latest dental tools, and highly skilled dentists.
- Another full-service private hospital, San Rafael Archangel, is located in the center of Liberia. It serves the Guanacaste province and nearby beaches such as Playas del Coco, Flamingo, and Tamarindo, which are home to many expats in the region.
In this private system, you can pay in cash or use insurance, including some policies from the US and Europe, international policies, and insurance from Costa Rica companies.
Statistics from the World Health Organization often rank Costa Rica among the top countries in the world for life expectancy. One of the reasons for this is the slower pace of life in Costa Rica. And healthy, fresh food without preservatives with a welcoming tropical climate. Costa Rica is a healthy place to live. In the famous “Blue Zone,” people are living into their 80’s
Expats living in Costa Rica report being happy with the quality of the healthcare system and health insurance. The United Nations ranks it as one of the top 20 public systems in the world and the best in Latin America. Medical care is so renowned that the country is even known worldwide for medical tourism, especially with people from places with more expensive health procedures, such as the US.
- Because Costa Rica is constantly upgrading its healthcare system, you can expect to see new facilities to appear regularly.
- Staff medical training is also updated continually.
- Life expectancy in this country is high; nearly 80 years old and beyond.
- Most medical tourists visit the country to take advantage of superior quality and affordable dental and optical care.
- It is common to use both public and private health insurance (the private insurance will supplement costs not covered by public).
- Many drugs that typically require prescriptions in other countries do not here. This includes such items as cholesterol medication, birth control
When visiting a doctor in Costa Rica, you will find that many either studied or worked abroad. Because of the proximity, they have most trained in the US. It is also common to find English-speaking professionals, especially if you are in one of the bigger cities in the country. Be sure to ask about this when making your appointment, even if you go to a public facility.
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