International healthcare, medical insurance in Lima

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Everyone, regardless of nationality, who is accepted by The Ministry of Health (MINSA) as an ordinarily resident in Perú, is entitled to access in-patient and out-patient services in publicly funded hospitals such as Seguro Integral de Salud (SIS) or EsSalud labour insurance service.

If you are not resident in Perú and you do not belong to any of the groups that are entitled to free services, you have to pay the full economic cost, whether public or private. You also have to pay the consultant.
Perú offers both private and public health services:

  • Public:
  • The Ministry of Health (MINSA) provides the SIS (Seguro Integral de Salud) insurance. It helps people without health insurance and citizens living in high levels of poverty in rural and urban regions (60% of the population).
  • EsSalud: It provides health insurance to the employed population and their families.
  • The Armed Forces (FFAA) & National Police (PNP)
  • Private:
    • Entidades prestadoras de salud (EPS – webpage only in Spanish): They are organizations whose purpose is to manage the financing of health services through public and / or private health networks, complementing the EsSalud labour coverage. This allows decongesting public services and providing quality care in an adequate infrastructure.
    • Aseguradoras privadas, clínicas y organizaciones de la sociedad civil (OSC) – Private insurance centres

International Health Coverage

The standard international healthcare services include patient visits to family doctor and specialist sessions, as well as hospital stays and ambulatory care. Costs for vaccinations and rehabilitation services are included in the basic packages. Additional services usually include reimbursement for medicines, dental care, optician services and fitness clubs.

The Superintendencia Nacional de Salud (SUSALUD) is the institution responsible for protecting the public and private health insurance rights in Perú. It monitors the health insurance business sector in Perú and advises the Minister for Health in this regard, including assessing the effect of any regulations or new legislation on consumers. SUSALUD aims to ensure that consumers are aware of their rights and that policies and publicity material describe cover in a fair and comparable way. The Authority also reviews the appropriateness of the procedures used by insurers in their dealings with consumers.

Private Medical Insurance in Lima

Private health insurance is used to pay for private care in hospitals or in the professional's own practices. Private insurance provides a full range of services. You will find cover for sickness, specialists, pregnancy, care home, dentist, hospital, etc.

There are a lot of private clinics and medical centres in Lima. However, these generally work better through insurance companies that have agreements with them, which means the company will usually pay the hospital/clinic/centre directly. Some companies will ask you to pay the health professional and then claim it through the company. In this case, you should check with your insurance company as to exactly what procedures they use.

The arrangements and coverage of your insurance vary from one company to another and to the contracted plan. It is advisable to acquire a monthly plan to avoid having to pay the entire amount at once in case of requiring some sort of sudden treatment or hospitalization.

Update 7/05/2019


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Find more definitions and general answers on expatriation issues in the Expat FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).

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