Travel insurance is essential for travelers visiting the Azores, as it provides peace of mind and covers medical expenses and emergency evacuation coverage. Carry a card identifying your blood type, chronic conditions, or allergies in the local language. Vaccines are recommended or required for Azores, and the National Travel Health Network and Centre and WHO recommend them. Comprehensive travel health insurance for Portugal is advisable, covering medical expenses and emergency evacuation in case of medical emergencies. Vaccines, medicines, and financial protection are also important. If you don’t need a visa, travel insurance is optional but strongly recommended as medical costs can be high for foreigners. Travel insurance is a priority for any international vacation, as medical emergencies and unexpected cancellations are rare factors that may impact your experience. All permanent residents in Portugal qualify to use the public healthcare system, but this does not apply to short-term residents or tourists.
📹 PRIVATE HEALTHCARE- PORTUGAL – SHOULD YOU GET – AZORES -Cost, Process, Provider, Application – Ep 28
Hi Guys On this episode we share with you our experience in getting private health care in Portugal. We discuss the overall …
Do I need health insurance to travel to Portugal?
Travelers in Portugal are advised to purchase travel medical insurance before their travel date to access doctors and emergency treatment at public and private hospitals. European citizens, EEA, or Switzerland can access public healthcare through their European Health Insurance Card. For stays over 90 days, a certificate from the local council office can grant access to public healthcare. However, access may be limited or delayed.
Travel insurance plans in Portugal offer access to the best hospitals and immediate care. Two travel insurance plans are available for visitors to Portugal, covering medical emergencies and standard benefits.
Is healthcare free in Portugal for tourists?
It should be noted that the Portuguese healthcare system does not provide free medical treatment for tourists and visitors. Consequently, non-EU citizens are required to have emergency medical insurance. United Kingdom citizens are permitted to utilize their UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), which superseded the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) subsequent to the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union. It should be noted that Portuguese Golden Visa holders do not automatically have access to public healthcare. Rather, they are required to obtain private healthcare insurance.
What happens if an American goes to the hospital in Portugal?
It should be noted that Portugal does not provide free medical treatment to visitors. Consequently, non-EU citizens are required to have travel medical insurance that covers emergency medical care, hospitalization, and repatriation, including death cases.
Do I need to purchase medical travel insurance?
Before traveling, it’s essential to consider getting travel insurance to cover potential delays, accidents, or illnesses. Your current medical insurance may not cover care in another country. There are three types of travel insurance: trip cancellation or travel disruption insurance, travel health insurance, and medical evacuation insurance. These policies provide financial peace of mind and ensure safe and healthy travel. Trip cancellation insurance covers your financial investment in your trip, such as flights, cruises, or train tickets.
It’s crucial to carefully examine the policy to ensure it covers your needs, including cancellation if you or a close family member gets sick. If necessary, you may need a separate travel health insurance policy.
How much does travel insurance in Portugal cost?
Portugal offers beautiful destinations like Lisbon, Porto, and Madeira, making it an ideal vacation destination. Travel insurance provides peace of mind against unexpected circumstances like accidents and cancellations. The most affordable plan costs $135. 43, while travel insurance covers international, worldwide trip protector, and Allianz Basic. Portugal is a member of the Schengen area, and it’s not compulsory for U. S. citizens unless they require a Schengen visa. However, many travelers buy insurance as a hedge against personal circumstances or medical emergencies that may make a trip impossible.
Does my US health insurance cover me abroad?
U. S. Medicare and Medicaid do not cover medical costs overseas, and private U. S. insurance policies may not cover all expenses. It is recommended to check your insurance before traveling to see if it provides coverage overseas. Travel health insurance pays for medical care and emergency transportation, and is strongly recommended for visiting countries with limited healthcare facilities. If your U. S. health insurance does not provide full coverage overseas, consider buying a short-term supplemental policy that directly pays to hospitals. More information can be found on the CDC insurance page.
How can a tourist see a doctor in Portugal?
In Portugal, public health centers are able to issue prescriptions using either an EHIC or a GHIC, whereas private clinics may have a greater number of English-speaking medical professionals. It should be noted that these services are more expensive and cannot be used in conjunction with an EHIC or GHIC. Telehealth services are a popular phenomenon in Portugal, with the majority of medical clinics issuing e-prescriptions in lieu of physical ones. In Portugal, it is possible to present an online prescription to a pharmacist or to obtain an e-prescription from a doctor.
What happens if I get sick in Portugal?
In the event of a medical emergency in Portugal, the appropriate course of action is to contact the emergency medical services by dialing 112 and requesting the dispatch of an ambulance. In the event of being referred to a medical facility, it is advisable to contact your insurance or medical assistance company. In the event of illness, one may contact Mainland Portugal on +351 808 24 24 24, Madeira and Porto Santo on +351 800 24 24 20, or the Azores on +351 808 24 60 24. It is advisable to ascertain the recommended vaccinations and potential health risks at least eight weeks prior to travel on the NHS travel vaccinations page.
Does American health insurance work in Europe?
U. S. health insurance plans typically do not cover routine medical care required overseas, including prescription medicine and non-emergency treatments. Most individual health insurance policies do not provide coverage for overseas emergency care, which can be costly if a travel companion has a heart attack or breaks a leg during a trip. To determine what your plan covers, contact your individual health insurance company.
Medicare coverage rarely covers medical care received outside the U. S., but may cover inpatient hospital stays, doctor visits, ambulance services, or dialysis care in rare cases. To find out what your plan includes, contact your individual health insurance company.
What to do if you get sick in Portugal?
In the event of a medical emergency in Portugal, the appropriate course of action is to contact the emergency medical services by dialing 112 and requesting the dispatch of an ambulance. In the event of being referred to a medical facility, it is advisable to contact your insurance or medical assistance company. In the event of illness, one may contact Mainland Portugal on (+351) 808 24 24 24, Madeira and Porto Santo on (+351) 800 24 24 20, or the Azores on (+351) 808 24 60 24. It is advisable to ascertain the recommended vaccinations and potential health risks at least eight weeks prior to travel on the NHS travel vaccinations page.
Is health insurance Mandatory in Portugal?
It is a legal requirement for Portuguese visa holders to have health insurance, unless they are citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland and possess an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The Portuguese public healthcare system provides access to services for all legal residents, covering the majority of medical procedures, including preventive care, diagnosis, and emergency treatment. However, it should be noted that dental care and cosmetic surgery are not included in this coverage.
📹 Private Health Insurance In Portugal Is So Affordable @traveltidbitsrus
Medial #healthcare #retirement #portugal #privateinsurance #surgery Living in Portugal, you have private health insurance and …
I’m a fellow Canadian born in the Azores as well. My mom and Dad retired back to Sao Miguel in 2001 after living in Canada for 30 plus years. With every passing year since they’ve moved back I feel more drawn to return to my roots and experience the slower pace and the beautiful landscape the islands have to offer. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. Looking forward to more articles.
You are such a refreshing, sweet couple. Really enjoyed perusal your article. We have a lot in common because we are planning on going back to Portugal as well to live a simpler, heathy life. I was 18 when I left and it took me being away for 30 years to realize how much I love my country, its people and its food. Thank you for making these articles – you inspire me and my wife!
Hi Carlos and Laura. I am from Ireland and currently live in Hawai’i. My partner and I (from Japan) are moving, permanently, to Sao Miguel in June. Thank you guys so much for the very valuable insights. (we’re in the same age bracket so information on health insurance is particularly useful) Hopefully, we’ll get to meet you at some point 🙂 Paul & Yasue
Every time I watch one of your articles, I feel a burst of anticipation – if all goes as planned, I should be arriving in Terceira in 164 days (but who’s counting??). The feeling is even stronger when I hear stories such as the one you shared about your friend’s passing. Life is indeed way too short. On another note, when putting together your “cost of groceries” article, don’t forget to factor in the adult refreshments. Very important! 😉
I love your articles! My husband and his family are from Pico. We have not been there in 8 years and love seeing the articles so keep them coming! We are working on retirement and plan on coming over there in May 2022 and we are excited about it. Thank you for the health insurance information that was very helpful to us. The island has changed alot since we have been there….A Burger King and Continente Grocery Store – Awesome! Stay safe, maybe we will run into you some time when we finally get over there.
Hi guys, i can’t thank you enough first for the information, the always funny humor you put into your articles! I love it. And for putting a smile on my face, the vitamin G is really something I needed today. I totally understand why Laura is smiling about your flight being canceled again, i don’t blame you. Great to see you guys again. Thank you 😊
Another great article Carlos and Laura….very informative for those interested in following in your footsteps. The goats were adorable….vitamin G is a good one. 😃 All the best!! Keep safe!! Perhaps you might be a bit disappointed you can’t return to Canada just yet but I couldn’t think of a better place to wait things out and enjoy all that Pico has to offer. Keep those articles coming and have a great time putting them together.
Congrats on hitting the 3,000 subscriber mark👍👏👏 The goats are adorable! The world gets so much smaller as we get older. We were having lunch in Lagos and someone over heard us speaking English, they asked where we were from. We said Ontario, but originally from BC. They were from BC. We chatted a while. It turned out the girl took ice dance lessons from my daughter’s ice dance coach, and the boy went to the same highschool as my daughter. You just never know who you will run into nowadays 🙂
Anothet great article ! Thank you for all the great information and the extra treat of vitamins at the end to top it all off. You are a nice couple and compliment each other well. Laura has a kindred spirit that the animal kingdom recognizes and Carlos believes in what hes doing. Would you say that Azores is a good place to get away from politics as my wife and I have had our fill? Thanks for what you do.
Wow Canada’s healthcare is currently in shambles. 2-3 weeks to see a family doctor for most and forget about seeing a specialist any time soon. I’m in Hamilton. Our healthcare used to be good many years ago before government kept cutting back on it. Regardless, you guys are a huge help. planning on retiring in Sao Miguel. Got a flight booked in January.
Also watch stay classy now that they moved to Madeira not sure what that’s going to be like but I like your article because you’re from the Azores and brings a different perspective to your website I am originally from Flores my family immigrated in 1956 to the US one question on health insurance if you were born in Portugal but you’re a naturalized citizen of another country do you still have to pay for healthcare
Hi guys! Lovely website. Regarding private medical insurance, I have a question for which I cannot find the answer. If you have a pre-existing condition, say something run of the mill like high blood pressure or diabetes, it seems to me that most private insurances will not cover that. Is that so? If they do not, does that mean they deny you coverage period, or you can still get insured but the pre-existing condition treatment is excluded? It would be very useful to know. We still have a few years to go and we’re getting older…I’d hate for a pre-existing condition to arise that would ruin our moving plans.
Our private insurance was increased 60% and it is not so affordable anymore. We pay slightly more than what we paid in the US. But we had a corporate self-pay insurance in the US. Also the copayments have increased. A family members copay for a pet scan this year was was 300 Euro. I can guess how the couple was on the hook for the 36K for prescriptions. The whole appointment system is also strange. You can have an appointment and wait in the waiting room until you can‘t wait anymore and you have to go home without having received any care. Or appointments you waited for at least 2 months get cancelled a week before the appointment and you have to get back in the line and wait another 2 months. And this is private care. I am writing this so viewers know what they are signing up for.
Thank you very much for the informative article. Did you use an insurance broker to purchase your policy? If so, what company? We are a family of 4 moving to Portugal in July using the D7 visa and would like to get health insurance for our family. We are also moving my 88-year-old mother with us who currently has Medicare. She lives with us.
US is the worst and second next is Canada when comes to the medical mafia. Unfortunately can’t call them any different. The cost in US for healthcare is insane high. Canada has a so called “free” health care where you are literally a hostage of the system. There are not much private options and for the little what exists the cost is extortionate. In Canada you get most things covered, however, the wait line is abnormal long and the doctors the government brings in I feel safer sometimes with veterinaire. The drugs Canada provide is generic and compare to EU standards are toxic waste. The US drugs are not much different either, except you pay a fortune for it. Both countries have terrible drugs. What is lot better in PT is that you have lot better quality of food and and lot better lifestyle. Probably no money over there but sometimes one needs to choose between money or life. In Canada people make lot more money then in PT but the liberal-fascist government steals everything from people with over taxation and the stupid high cost of living. Once your retired they give you alimony for pension and free MAID (assisted suicide). Canada is the country where Satan lives. It is great to know that in PT at least there are options and it is lot more affordable.