Costa Rica’s history of commitment to health and social reform has yielded the best health outcomes of any country in Latin America. These outcomes are the result of a well-developed publicly funded comprehensive health care system built on the principals of universal coverage and equity.

In 1995 the World Heath Organization showed that Costa Rican life expectancy was third longest in the world behind only Japan and France. This is quite an achievement for a country with a per capita income that is roughly one tenth that of their counterparts.

The relaxed lifestyle and the fresh, non-preservative laden foods of Costa Rica along with the tropical climate makes it a healthy place to live. Costa Rica separates itself from the rest because its government has continued a long-time commitment to provide affordable access to health care to each and every citizen.

"It's not the surgeons who have provided this, but the entire history of our country that gives us this advantage" said renowned Costa Rican cosmetic surgeon Dr. Arnoldo Fournier.

As always with nationalized health care, expect red tape and long waits, but the quality of Costa Rica's health care is excellent. Private health care is also available, very affordable, and high quality. Many doctors speak English and have received training in Europe, Canada, or the U.S.

Dental and Cosmetic Health Care

Around 150,000 foreigners sought care in Costa Rica in 2006, according to the NCPA report published last November. Often, foreign patients travel to Costa Rica for the low costs of dental work and plastic surgery.

Cosmetic surgery, cosmetic dentistry, and gastric bypass surgery, are Costa Rica's hidden treasure, but not a well-kept secret. Each year thousands of men and women take advantage of the low-cost, high-quality care provided by Costa Rica's cosmetic surgeons and dentists.

Health and Medical Insurance in Costa Rica

Canadians or anyone travelling to Costa Rica can use any international insurance carrier, that will pay for any medical expenses. Do some research on this by Internet because you DO have options! As with ANY insurance policy, always check for important provisions such as pre-existing conditions, age limits, cancellation policy and so on. Although foreigners can use any international insurance provider; Costa Rica has two major health insurance plans available for purchase domestically.

INS (Instituto Nacional de Seguros) offers medical insurance. The group plan offered by the Association of Residents of Costa Rica would save about 10% of the cost of the premium; however, there is a limit of about $17,500 per year, and it does not cover pre-existing conditions or check ups.

An alternative to the INS plan is the CCSS plan. (Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social) This is the government medical plan that most Costa Ricans have. The plan covers pre-existing conditions, doctor visits, prescription drugs, examinations, hospitalization, dental and eyes. There is no limit on annual amounts paid out by the plan. A doctor and clinic is assigned to the patient. Lines and the processes can be long, but you will get decent care!

While you cannot buy health insurance in Costa Rica from any other company than INS or CCSS, other international policies are perfectly legal to purchase and many have payment arrangements are already in place with several hospitals in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica's Government-Run Health Care System

With a government-sponsored network of more than 30 hospitals and more than 250 clinics throughout the country, the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) has primary responsibility for providing low-cost health care services to the Costa Rican populace. Although sometimes overburdened, this system has worked well for Costa Ricans for the past 60 or so years. Open not just to Costa Rican residents, the CCSS provides affordable medical service to any foreign resident or visitor.

Foreigners living in Costa Rica can join the CCSS by paying a small monthly fee--based on income--or they can buy health insurance from the state monopoly Instituto de Seguro Nacional (INS), valid with over 200 affiliated doctors, hospitals, labs, and pharmacies in the private sector.

Costa Rica's Private Health Care System

Many of the country's highly trained physicians and some dentists work in the mornings for the CCSS and operate their own offices and clinics in the afternoons and evenings. While private health care in Costa Rica is more expensive than that offered by the same doctors and surgeons through the CCSS, the price is still far below that of the average office visit in the U.S.

For example, a private office visit to almost any medical specialist costs around $40. Continued treatments for diagnosed problems will vary, but will almost always be considerably less than comparable treatment in the United States. Dental work, too, is provided at a much lower cost than in the U.S.--prompting a phenomenon known as "health tourism."

Two well-known private hospitals, Clinica Biblica and Clinica Catolica, where many CCSS doctors practice in the afternoons and evenings, offer first-class, ultra-modern services. Affiliated with U.S. hospitals, these two private providers have costs somewhat higher than the public providers but still considerably below anything found in the U.S.