Peru is one of South America’s fastest-growing multicultural expatriate destinations. With the turn of the millennium, Peru’s economy has witnessed a steady growth rate.
Natural resources are the backbone of Peru’s rapidly growing economy, due to the country’s abundant reserves of oil and natural gas, gold, silver, copper, iron ore, zinc, and phosphate, to name just a few. Did you know that more than 60% of Peru’s export revenue comes from the mining sector? Peru has also seen substantial development in industries like agriculture, fisheries, chemicals, textiles, and horticulture.
There has been a considerable rise in demand for expat job opportunities. And Peru is becoming a melting pot of expats from all parts of the world.
As the saying goes, “The foundation of success in life is good health.” Before you move to Peru, make sure to purchase a good expatriate health insurance plan to help you through any health needs you might have during your time there.
Peru Healthcare System Basics
Peru’s healthcare system is governed by the Ministry of Health, Central Government of Peru. It primarily consists of the following five systems:
- Seguro Integral de Salud, managed by the Ministry of Health (MINSA). It provides healthcare facilities to almost 60% of the population.
- Social insurance system (EsSalud), managed by the Ministry of Labor. It provides healthcare services to approximately 30% of the population.
- Armed Forces (FFAA)
- National Police (PNP)
- Private sector: Private for-profit and private non-profit (non-government or religious) facilities.
MINSA is an organization that provides healthcare to the uninsured residents of Peru. MINSA healthcare is available only in select, pre-decided healthcare centers. It aims to provide medical aid to people who belong to economically backward strata of society and live in very poor conditions. MINSA is primarily funded by the Ministry of Health, although a small proportion of funding also comes from donations, contributions, and international or domestic aid agencies. It is available in both rural and urban health centers in Peru.
EsSalud is a public health insurance plan that aims to provide health facilities to the employed class of Peruvian nationals and their families. It is funded by employer contributions. Usually, contributions for EsSalud amount to approximately 9% of the employee’s salary. Typically, EsSalud health facilities are found mostly in urban areas.
Despite vast progress in its economy and industrial growth, Peru’s public healthcare system has failed to improve to international standards. Peru’s healthcare program is struggling to keep up with numerous issues. Some of the problems with Peruvian public healthcare are as follows.
- There is an acute need for increased funding to healthcare facilities to cope with rising healthcare demand.
- The availability of healthcare centers in rural Peru is much less than in urban areas. In some places, it can be difficult to find even basic public healthcare centers in Peru.
- Most public hospitals lack modern medical devices and equipment.
- Almost 90% of the population depends on public healthcare facilities. According to statistical studies, there are only about 1.12 physicians available per 1,000 people in Peru. This is much below the World Health Organization’s recommended rate of 2.3 physicians per 1,000 people. This has led to a huge gap between the demand for and availability of healthcare facilities.
- Peruvian residents often have to wait long hours to receive the appropriate medical aid. It may often take days or weeks to consult specialists.
- Though MINSA is provided for free to the poor and EsSalud contributions are only 9%, residents may need to pay extra for medical services due to the high level of corruption in the healthcare system.
- Due to backward health infrastructure, complicated medical procedures may not be possible in Peru. Many times, patients may need medical evacuation to other developed countries.
Peru Expatriate Health Insurance
Owing to the backward condition of Peru’s public healthcare system, a vast majority of expats moving to Peru choose the comfort of a Peru expat health insurance plan instead of depending on public healthcare centers.
Are you a foreigner working for a Peruvian or multinational company? Are you staying in Peru to explore profitable business options? Are you retired and looking to spend your leisure years in a new country?
Then a Peru expat health insurance plan is the right choice for you. Along with offering medical insurance, Peru expat insurance plans also provide other types of insurance coverage like travel insurance, family insurance, dental insurance, and global insurance.
One Plan—Many Benefits with Peru Expat Insurance
An expat health insurance plan is a single plan that offers multiple benefits. Here are just a few of the reasons to choose expat health insurance to cover your medical needs during your time in Peru.
Quality medical aid: Peru’s public healthcare system is not suitably equipped to provide international quality medical attention. An expat health insurance plan provides you the assurance of access to Peru’s best healthcare centers. Expat health insurers have agreements with hospital chains that ensure world-class medical attention for their clients.
Medical transportation: Most expats are worried about the high cost of medical evacuation or repatriation, should the need arise. Expat health insurance plans provide coverage for medical evacuations, ambulatory services, air-ambulances, and even (God forbid) repatriation of remains to your home country.
Coverage for all your needs: An expat health insurance plan provides you the flexibility of choosing insurance coverage for your specific needs. In other words, you don’t have to pay for services that you don’t need. A single expatriate need not pay for a family plan. On the other hand, if you have pre-existing health conditions, you may pay extra for an add-on that includes coverage for those contingencies.
Compare plans, select your add-ons, and purchase the Peru expatriate health insurance plan that best fits your individual needs. Rest assured that you’re getting the best value for your money. Enjoy your stay, and welcome to Peru!