Health Insurance Options in Panama

[COUNTRY EXPERT – LINDA CARD]

In our May 2016 edition of Panama Insider I shared some information about health care here in Panama, and mentioned that you have choices for health insurance. Keep reading for more details about medical coverage.

The most basic is a local plan that provides limited coverage within Panama and features low premiums. This is the type of coverage I have, through Hospital Chiriquí, and it pays 50% to 70% of most charges anywhere in Panama. My husband and I pay a total of $2,040 per year for our plan with MS Panama.

The next level of coverage is a policy offered by a Panamanian insurance company that provides comprehensive coverage here and some limited reimbursement internationally. There are many reputable insurance companies in Panama, offering a range of deductibles and options for coverage. Here are a few you may check out: SURA, ASSA, Ancon, MAPFRE, and Internacional de Seguros.

The broadest range of benefits are available with the most comprehensive and most expensive plans. These are through international insurance companies that offer 100% world-wide coverage. A couple in their 60s may expect to pay $6,000 to $8,000 per year, depending on the plan details. These include Cigna, Bupa Global, Aetna International, AllianzAllianz and Worldwide Medical.

Keep in mind that some companies have an upper age limit for enrollment, which may be 64, 65, 70 or 72 years of age, so you need to check with each company. Each company will have its own policies regarding pre-existing conditions, waiting periods, exclusions and pre-authorization procedures, so you’ll need to research that as well.

The good news is that healthcare costs in Panama are typically a small fraction of what they are up north, so even if you have to pay a percentage of the bill it won’t bankrupt you. It’s also good to know that you have choices here—you can choose the type of coverage you want based on your own medical status and your budget. You don’t have some bureaucrat telling you what you have to do about your medical insurance. But… with that choice comes responsibility, so it’s very important that you plan for your own medical needs and assure that you have adequate health insurance coverage in Panama.

[Dennis Curry]

My wife and I are preparing to retire in Panama, specifically in the Playa Coronado, Gorgona area. We have been advised that the public medical system can have long wait times and it is better to go with the private system, including private health insurance coverage. I am on a very specialized medication called Tikosyn here in the US. During a recent visit to Coronado we inquired about it’s availability at the clinic pharmacy there. They were able to confirm that all of my other meds are available but had no knowledge of the availability of the Tikosyn. It is a very expensive medication here in the US. After reading the blog, I tried to click on the links to the 2nd level of coverage above but everything is in Spanish. Is there a way to get the information converted to English? I would truly love to hear from anybody who had opinions or experience regarding the health care systems and who might have a way for me to research the availability of the Tikosyn in Panama. My email address is denniscurry@rocketmail.com. Thank you in advance for any help.
Dennis Curry
(602) 688-6413 US cell

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Hi Dennis,

Medical liaison company Panasalud may be able to help you find out and can certainly answer questions in English:

PanamaHealth.com
Obarrio, Bella Vista, Panama
Tel. +507 263-5287 or 507 263-0653 Email: luis@saludpanama.net
Website: http://www.saludpanama.com/

From their website: “Saludpanama.com offers a medical directory with over 200 listings in more than 50 medical specialties. Saludpanama.com also helps patients to reach doctors faster and more efficiently, and get better prices for medical services.”

Best,

IL Panama Editor Jessica Ramesch

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