Expat Health Insurance & Healthcare Guide to Costa Rica

Expats discuss their experiences giving birth in Costa Rica. Topics covered include public (CAJA) hospitals vs. private hospitals,high C-section rates, maternity coverage, dual citizenship, permanent residency for expat parents with babies born in Costa Rica, baby stores and formula options.

Expats living in Costa Rica discuss health insurance and quality of medical care in Costa Rica.

An expat in Grecia, Costa Rica advises other expats to head to San Jose for medical care. He hasn't heard any good things about the local CAJA hospital.

An expat in Tamarindo, Costa Rica recommends private health insurance for a sufficient safety net. The private hospital is a 45 minute drive and a public hospital is a 90 minute drive. If you need an MRI, it's a 5 hour drive to San Jose. And, most non-narcotic drugs are available without a prescription.

An expat in Costa Rica enjoys the low cost of healthcare (a fraction of the cost in the US) and is impressed with the new CAJA Hospital de Osa in Cortez. He offers advice about how an expat qualifies for the public healthcare system (CAJA).

An expat in San Jose, Costa Rica offers an incredibly insightful report about public and private hospitals, doctors in Costa Rica and the costs of prescription medicine.

An expat in Costa Rica talks about socialized medical care, private health insurance, public and private hospitals in Playa Jaco. The quality of care at the hospitals she and her husband have visited surpassed the quality of care in the US.

I recently gave birth to a beautiful baby boy here is San Jose, Costa Rica. I couldn't have had a better experience. I have a 3 year old daughter who was born in the states and with her I had to have a C-section. I really wanted to try and have a natural birth with my son, and most doctors will not even discuss that option with you after you have had a C-section. My doctor here at least let me give it a try, it did not happen but he was willing. I had my son at Clinical Biblica in downtown San Jose. After a C-section I left the hospital the very next day and my healing only took 2 weeks and I was back in the gym. It was amazing!! With my daughter it was a horrible recovery and it took weeks. The care I received from everyone was the best. I do not speak Spanish yet, but they were patient with me, and everything went better than I could have hoped for.