Costa Rica Health Care – State of the Art Hospitals

September 16, 2009 | Posted by costaricamodernecoliving

costa_rica_health_care_1 Imagine a universal health care system that offers world class physicians and the highest quality of care paired with state of the art hospitals, all for well under $100 per month. It might sound too good to be true, but top notch universal health care is an impressive benefit enjoyed by Costa Rica residents. Consistently ranked as the best health care system in Latin America, and one of the top twenty health care systems in the world by the United Nations, Costa Rica boasts affordable public and private hospitals, doctors and local clinics whose level of care rivals that of the United States – for a tiny fraction of the cost. Costa Rica has a historical commitment to the health and social well being of its residents since the establishment of its universal health care system in 1941, known as the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS). Since Costa Rica does not keep a standing army, the government pours resources and tax money into funding a robust health care system to keep residents healthy and happy.

Foreigners living abroad in Costa Rica have access to both the public and private health care systems. The public health care is run by the CCSS and private health insurance can be purchased through the Instituto de Seguro National (ISN). Both cost between $50 and $100 per month depending on an individual’s age and health care requirements, although treatment at CCSS clinics and hospitals is less expensive than it is at private clinics (Source: www.CostaRica.com & www.InternationalLiving.com). Either way, however, almost all foreigners will find both private and public health care in Costa Rica much more affordable than health care at home.

CIMA hospitals, which have some of the highest medical standards in the world, are located throughout Costa Rica, including in Guanacaste (source: www.coztarica.com). The CIMA in Guanacaste is under construction and will be completed in 2011. The CIMA hospital in Escazu, as well as the Clinica Biblica and Clinica Catolica located in San Jose are renowned for outstanding patient care, cutting edge procedures and talented U.S. and European educated physicians. Though San Jose hospitals receive the most hype, Costa Rica is constantly pouring resources into other hospitals such as the Nicoya La Anexion hospital, which was recently part of a 54 million dollar government grant for state of the art equipment. Indeed, one of the biggest benefits to living in Costa Rica is affordable access to sophisticated health care.