Private Vs. Public Health Insurance In Portugal
One of Portugal’s many benefits available to citizens and legal residents is the healthcare system and health insurance. This section provides an in-depth look at the healthcare system, whether it is public or private.
If you want, you can get private health insurance in Portugal, especially given the long wait times in the public healthcare system designated for elective appointments and procedures.
We explain how to find a doctor in Portugal, whether it’s a general practitioner, a specialist, or a dentist. You will never be able to choose your own public physician; they will always be assigned to you. Private healthcare, on the other hand, has a plethora of options.
If you live in Portugal, giving birth should be free of charge. You have the right to medical care throughout your pregnancy. We also discuss how your child can obtain citizenship or permanent residency in Portugal if they are born there.
How Healthcare Works in Portugal
Portugal’s healthcare system is excellent, whether it is public or private. High vaccination rates and a long life expectancy are two indicators of good healthcare in Portugal. In this section, we will discuss some facts about healthcare in Portugal and the costs and benefits of the public healthcare system.
Facts About Healthcare In Portugal
- Portugal provides both public and private medical care. Hospitals, medical centers, and other institutions are typically either public or private rather than both.
- In Portugal, the average life expectancy is around 81 years (can higher than the EU average).
- The Portuguese government spends less on public healthcare than the rest of Europe, and out-of-pocket expenses are rising.
- The leading causes of health problems in Portugal are smoking, drinking, and obesity.
- Cardiovascular disease and cancer are the country’s two most concerning health issues.
Portugal’s Healthcare System Explained
How does healthcare in Portugal work? Portugal has a hybrid healthcare system that includes both public and private services. The Portuguese national healthcare system, Serviço Nacional de Sade (SNS), manages public healthcare.
To be eligible for state medical services, you must first register with your local council (junta de freguesia). You must request proof of address here in order to register with the local healthcare center, Centro de sade. Bring your residence card (titulo de residência) as well as your work visa.
You will be given your healthcare number, Nero de Utente, after registering with the health center. This number must be presented whenever you use public healthcare services.
Does Portugal Have Free Public Healthcare?
Yes, Portugal has state-provided healthcare that is free for all citizens and legal residents. Even though medical care is generally free, you may be charged fees when visiting emergency rooms, your primary care physician, or requesting ambulance services. These typically range between 5 and 20 EUR (6—22 USD).
What Does Public Healthcare Cover?
Except for dental care and cosmetic surgery, public healthcare in Portugal covers all medical procedures. This includes preventive care and diagnosing and treating emergency and non-emergency conditions.
There are a number of public hospitals located throughout the country. Local health centers, which provide primary medical care, are also available in each municipality.
Getting Doctors And Medicine
If you register with your local health center, Centro de sade, you will be assigned a family doctor if the center has the capacity to do so (otherwise, you are put on the waiting list for one). You will have to see which doctor is available in busier centers. In general, your family doctor should be your primary point of contact with the public healthcare system, for example, when you need referrals to specialists or other special exams.
If you require medication, you can obtain it from a pharmacy or farmácia. These are widely available across the country. Some medications can only be purchased with a doctor’s prescription. These can be state-subsidized, meaning you only pay a portion of the total cost.
Healthcare Costs In Portugal
Even though the Portuguese public healthcare system is mostly free, you may sometimes be asked to pay for medical care.
You would have to pay for doctor’s appointments at primary care centers or centros de sade, as well as hospitalizations and medical emergencies. You would also be asked to pay a percentage of the cost of diagnostic tests.
Type Of Appointment EUR USD
- Specialist 7, 7.60
- General Practitioner 4.50, 4.90
- An infirmary or other complementary services (mainly hospitals) 4.50, 4.90
- House visit 9, 9.80
- An infirmary or other complementary services (mainly local health centers) 3.50, 3.80
For some costs associated with complementary diagnostics and exams, you would be required to pay a percentage determined by the SNS, which varies depending on the procedure. The most you would have to pay for an exam is 40 EUR (44 USD). These expenses can be deducted when filing your taxes, but they cannot exceed 1,000 EUR (which is 1,100 USD).
What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Portuguese Healthcare System?
We shall now look at the pros and cons of the Portuguese Health care system.
Pros
- It is primarily free. Expenses for public medical care are typically between 5 and 20 EUR (6-22 USD), so you should not be burdened with high costs.
- The medical staff in Portugal is highly qualified, and public hospitals in larger cities are well-equipped with cutting-edge resources and medical equipment.
Cons
- In the public sector, there are long waiting lists for elective procedures.
- Emergency rooms are often overcrowded, and it may take several hours to be seen by a doctor.
- Nurses in Portugal are in short supply in comparison to doctors, which is especially noticeable during national strikes.
An Overview Of Private Health Insurance
If the disadvantages of public healthcare are too great for you, you should learn how health insurance works in case you decide to purchase private insurance.
Do You Need Health Insurance In Portugal?
In a nutshell, it depends. You can completely rely on public healthcare to meet the majority of your medical needs, and you can completely rely on emergency care in life-threatening situations. However, your medical needs may not be met as quickly as you would like for some non-urgent procedures.
Waiting times are a major issue in Portugal. As a result, Portuguese citizens and residents frequently purchase private medical insurance in Portugal to supplement national health services and reduce wait times for elective conditions and procedures.
Types Of Private Health Insurance Plans
Private insurers can provide a wide range of insurance plans, from the most basic to the most comprehensive. In general, you should select an insurance plan that best meets your medical requirements.
In Portugal, the basic components of private health insurance coverage are hospitalization and surgery. You can add some extras based on your specific medical needs, such as:
- childbirth
- Ambulatory services include doctor’s appointments, appointments with specialists, exams and tests, and even physical therapy.
- dentistry
Some health plans may even cover prosthetics, ophthalmology, and other special medical needs and treatments. You can add multiple people to the same insurance policy, which means the same company could cover your entire family.
What Does Private Insurance Cover?
Most insurance plans provide a set amount for medical treatment (for example, 5,000 EUR (5,500 USD) for childbirth). If your expenses exceed that amount, you may be asked to co-pay them.
Keep in mind that most insurers require a waiting period (typically 90 days) before the insurance becomes active.
How To Get Health Insurance In Portugal
You simply have to contact the local insurer once you’ve determined which health plan is best for you, depending on your medical needs and budget. You may be required to provide them with information about your medical history. The entire procedure is carried out over the phone or via email.
Keep in mind that private health insurance may be included as part of the benefits package in some job contracts. To avoid paying for something you already have, check with your employer before purchasing private insurance.
Average Cost of Health Insurance In Portugal
How much does health insurance cost? In Portugal, private insurance is generally quite affordable. Depending on the age and the extent of your coverage, this could cost between 20 and 50 EUR (22-55 USD) per month. This means you can pay between 400 EUR (440 USD) per year for a basic plan and 1,000 EUR (1,100 USD) per year for more comprehensive coverage.
Your insurance costs may also be affected by your preferred method of payment. You can choose to have a network of service providers available to you. This means that whenever you require medical treatment, you can only go to hospitals, clinics, or doctors with whom your insurer has a contract. You would typically pay for this type of insurance monthly, semesterly, or annually. You can also choose to be reimbursed by your insurer after you have paid for medical expenses out of pocket. You can also use a combination of both payment methods.
How To Find A Doctor Or Dentist
It is a good idea to know where to find a doctor or dentist in Portugal before you need one.
How To Find A Family Doctor
In Portugal, you cannot choose your family doctor. When you register with your local health center or centro de sade, you are assigned a general practitioner. To do so, first ensure that you are properly registered with your local neighborhood by visiting the Junta de Freguesia.
Keep in mind that family doctors in larger cities may be fully booked and thus unable to accept new patients. In these situations, you will be placed on a waiting list and treated by whichever doctor is available.
Booking An Appointment
Making an appointment with your family doctor can be difficult. The availability is subject to the availability of your doctor or health center. In theory, you can schedule an appointment with your local doctor via SNS, but this does not always work for every health center. If you are unable to book online, please call your health center and request an appointment. If you are not able to reach someone by phone, your only option is to make your appointment in person.
There may be days of the week when doctors accept walk-ins (without an appointment). If you don’t have a family doctor (i.e., you are on the waiting list), you can still go to the Centro de sade for medical care, but only on “open days” and wait in line to see the first available doctor.
How To Find A Specialist
If you need to see a specialist, the public healthcare system requires you to first see your primary care physician. Your doctor will then refer you to a specialist, usually at a public hospital, which can take several months. This doctor referral is usually based on the availability of doctors, so you cannot choose which specialist to see.
If you have private insurance, however, you have several options. You can conduct an online search for doctors based on their resumes or location, ask for recommendations, or schedule an appointment with the next available doctor at a private hospital or clinic. If your insurer has a network of medical providers, you should look for doctors in your network to take advantage of the lower prices that come with having insurance.
How To Find A Dentist
Dentists can be found all over the country. To find a Dentist near you, search online for dentists or dental clinics to see what is available in your area. It is a good idea to ask for recommendations from locals, as their input of either positive or negative experiences may be crucial in deciding on one practice over another.
Average Waiting Time To See A Doctor In Portugal
The majority of patients who rely on public healthcare must wait more than a year for their first consultation. Waiting times for specialties such as ophthalmology average two years, exceeding the maximum time allowed by law. There have been reports of patients having to wait more than three years for an appointment.
The SNS maintains a website where you can view average wait times by hospital or health unit. The highest priority patients in some of the busiest hospitals must wait 30 days for an appointment, while regular patients must wait 150 days. Patients with the highest priority must wait 15 days for surgery, while regular patients must wait 180 days.
Giving Birth In Portugal
If you are a non-resident planning on giving birth in Portugal, you should be aware that only legal residents are entitled to free maternity medical care and benefits.
Having A Baby In Portugal As A Foreigner
Giving birth in Portugal as a foreigner is the same as giving birth as a national, as long as you have a valid residence permit. Having a child as a permanent resident gives you the same rights as a citizen.
If you don’t have a residence permit and only have a registration certificate from your local council, you will be charged for all maternity expenses.
You are entitled to free maternity appointments as a legal resident. For these appointments, both mothers and fathers may be excused from work.
Costs Of Having A Baby In Portugal
Having a baby in Portugal is free as long as you are a legal resident. Throughout your pregnancy, you are entitled to free OB-GYN appointments. The delivery, whether by C-section or natural childbirth, is also free.
Can You Give Birth In Portugal Without Health Insurance?
You can give birth in Portugal without health insurance because the public health system is available to all legal residents. You simply need to ensure that you seek public medical services rather than private ones each time so that you are not charged for any appointments, exams, or delivery.
If you choose to purchase private insurance, make certain that childbirth is covered. In general, having a baby in a private hospital in Portugal should be a more comfortable experience. However, because private hospitals are not as well-equipped as public hospitals, there are some limitations. If the baby is premature, you cannot give birth in a private hospital (before 34 weeks). If you have any complications during your pregnancy, your doctor may not allow you to give birth in a private hospital.
Benefits Of Giving Birth In Portugal
Do you want to know if you can give birth in Portugal to get citizenship, permanent residency, or other benefits?
If either the mother or father was born in Portugal and was living in Portugal at the time of the birth, your child is automatically a Portuguese citizen. If neither parent was born in Portugal, the child could acquire Portuguese nationality when one of them has lived in Portugal for five years, regardless of the type of residence permit, or when the child has completed the first cycle of basic education in Portugal.
Final Words: What’s In A Name?
Portugal has very strict rules about naming its citizens—you must choose from a list of approved names. If one or both parents are foreigners, you can name your child according to the laws of your home country.
If you wish to know if you are entitled to maternity leave and benefits, visit the SNS portal for all information on being a parent while working in the country. In general, if you are a legal resident of Portugal and pay social security contributions, you are eligible for parental benefits.