Healthcare and Health Insurance in Cuenca, Ecuador

Expats Talk about Health Insurance and Healthcare in Cuenca, Ecuador

Last updated on Jun 15, 2023

Summary: Cuenca, Ecuador is home to several hospitals and clinics, including Hospital del Rio, Hospital de la Familia, and Hospital Teodoro Maldonado Carbo. Emergency services are available in Cuenca, and an ambulance can be called by dialing 911. The quality of medical care in Cuenca is generally considered to be good, though it may not be as advanced as the medical care available in the United States.

How are healthcare services Cuenca?

When we asked expats and global nomads about the quality of medical care in Cuenca, they replied:

"IESS (federal system) is cheapest insurance here UNLESS you came on "retirement income" visa, where it can be quite expensive (they they charge 17% of your income for the insurance). Almost all non-opioid prescription meds in the US are available here OTC," mentioned one expat in Cuenca.

"If you need medical care and have good knowledge of Spanish, the state system IESS may be your choice, however if you are retired they raised the rates to about 17.5% of retirement income. I have cheap (low quality) insurance which reportedly doesn't pay, which is fine for me because I would rather pay 45 per month for insurance that I can't use than 75/mo for insurance I won't use," commented one expat who moved to Cuenca, Ecuador.

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What are medical services in Cuenca like?

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About the Author

Joshua Wood, LPC joined Expat Exchange in 2000 and serves as one of its Co-Presidents. He is also one of the Founders of Digital Nomad Exchange. Prior to Expat Exchange, Joshua worked for NBC Cable (MSNBC and CNBC Primetime). Joshua has a BA from Syracuse and a Master's in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Mr. Wood is also a licensed counselor and psychotherapist.

Some of Joshua's articles include Pros and Cons of Living in Portugal, 10 Best Places to Live in Ireland and Pros and Cons of Living in Uruguay. Connect with Joshua on LinkedIn.