Portugal has gained increasing popularity recently, not just as a tourist hotspot but also as a destination for expatriates. It’s ranked 9th in terms of world-class health & well-being among worldwide destinations.
The country offers a great balance between social and professional life, a relatively low cost of living, rich cultural experiences, and great safety. Moreover, Portugal is also growing leaps and bounds in different industries, including tourism, information technology, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, telecommunications, and chemicals, to name a few.
As you plan your future in the beautiful country of Portugal, it is important to understand the country’s healthcare system. Your healthcare costs could easily get out of control in the event of a medical emergency. To secure yourself from such a risk, get a Portugal expat healthcare insurance plan.
Buying a Portugal expat medical insurance plan is your safeguard against massive medical expenses. More than that, it’s precisely what you need to confidently access the seamless private medical care system in Portugal, without worrying about the costs. Read on to find out more.
Public Healthcare System in Portugal
Portugal’s public healthcare system is currently ranked 22nd among 89 countries for its high-quality infrastructure. Portugal’s public health insurance (or national healthcare) system is also known as Servico Nacional de Saude (SNS) and is governed by the Ministry of Health.
The Servico Nacional de Saude (SNS) provides health coverage to:
- EU citizens who have retired or may retire early
- Employees and their dependent family members
- Citizens of the EU (European Union), EEA (European Economic Area), or travellers from Switzerland who possess a European Health Insurance Card
- Students from the EU, EEA, and Switzerland who possess a European Health Insurance Card
Portugal’s national health insurance system typically provides coverage for:
- GP/physician/doctor visits
- Hospitalization charges
- Medical emergencies
- Dental coverage
- Maternity treatment
- Optical coverage
To be eligible for national health insurance benefits in Portugal, you’ll need to enroll into the country’s social security system. If you move to Portugal to work as an expat, your employer will take care of this for you. Enrollment will enable your access to national health insurance. Business travellers and self-employed individuals will need to complete a registration process with the Social Security Institute in order to activate their national health insurance.
The Need for Expatriate Health Insurance in Portugal
Before you move to Portugal, understand the problems of the country’s public healthcare system:
- Low ratio of nurses to doctors, resulting in average healthcare services
- Scarcity of hospital beds, causing acute shortage of hospital facilities
- Lack of speciality treatments like renal dialysis, rehabilitation, diagnostic facilities, and super-specialized care
- Lack of English-speaking staff
- Long lines and waiting times for treatment
That’s why expatriates have every reason to purchase Portugal expatriate health insurance before relocating to the country.
The Basics of Portugal Expatriate Health Insurance
A Portugal expatriate health insurance plan is a health insurance plan made specifically for expats. Expat health insurance plans usually provide several options for coverage area, including:
- Single-Country Expatriate Health Insurance
- EU Expatriate Health Insurance
- Global Expatriate Health Insurance
- Global Expatriate Health Insurance excluding the U.S.
You can get expat health insurance in Portugal for a reasonable price. The cost of Portugal private health insurance depends on the following factors:
- Your age
- Pre-existing medical conditions & professional risks
- Medical history
- Type of coverage
- Number of dependents
- Number of countries included in the plan
Why is it necessary to buy expat health insurance in Portugal?
Even though you will be registered with the Servico Nacional de Saude (SNS) of Portugal, you will still benefit from an expatriate health insurance plan during your stay. Your Portugal expatriate health insurance offers a host of services, including access to:
- A wide network of private clinics and doctors
- Comprehensive diagnostic and treatment centers
- After-care treatments, psychiatric aid, and physiotherapy
- Specialized services like optical, dental, maternity, oncology, and radiology
What are the benefits of buying Portugal expat health insurance?
There are several benefits of buying a Portugal expat private health insurance plan:
Long-term protection: A Portugal expatriate health insurance plan offers both short-term as well as long-term protection options. Buyers have the option of choosing the duration of the plan, which can range from one month to two years or more.
English Customer Support: One of the biggest drawbacks of the Portugal public healthcare system is the lack of English-speaking doctors, nurses, and medical staff. A good Portugal private expatriate health insurance plan provides access to global clinics with multilingual as well as English-speaking staff.
Priority treatment: As with all public healthcare facilities, Portugal also faces an acute shortage of medical staff and infrastructure, leading to delayed healthcare services. An expatriate healthcare plan offers the comfort of priority treatment without long waiting times, as well as access to the highest-quality doctors and diagnostic centers without delay.
Flexible plans: The greatest benefit of buying a Portugal expatriate health insurance plan is the flexibility of choice. You can select the plan that best fits your needs among options like:
- Coverage area: Only Portugal, Portugal and EU, worldwide, or worldwide excluding the U.S.
- Single / Spouse / Family plan
- Basic coverage/ Added Coverage / Maternity Coverage
Easy renewal: Renewing a national health insurance plan in a foreign country can be a nightmare. Your Portugal expatriate health insurance plan can be easily renewed without any hassles.
Say “Olá” to Portugal. Use this website to compare various expat health insurance plans and select the one that suits your preference and budget. Buy your Portugal expatriate health insurance plan today.