Healthcare in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has an universal healthcare system which comprises in fact one of the best health infrastructures in Latin America. Its main problem are bureaucracy and waiting lists, but care when eventually provided is of excellent quality.

The System is finances via a 9% tax applied to every worker‘s salary, and an additional 18% to businesses.

There are also private hospitals of excellent quality and with reasonable prices, with English-speaking doctors with experience an training abroad. Some of these hospitals do accept private medical insurance from the USA and Europe. There is also the possibility of a complementary insurance provided by the state-owned insurance monopoly, the INS (Instituto Nacional de Seguros).



Most foreign nationals in Costa Rica go to one of the three big hospitals: the CIMA in Escazú [ http://www.hospitalsanjose.net ], Clínica Bíblica, in San José [www.clinicabiblica.com], and Clínica Católica, also in San José [www.clinicacatolica.com].