How much do healthcare and medical services cost in Panama?
Justo Rufino Barrios - Eisenmann Dental Clinic
In general health and medical services can cost 1/3 to 1/2 less in Panama than the cost in the USA.
That dosen't mean that the Panamanian doctors are not good or have 1/2 the expertise or credentials compared to the USA doctors. What it means is that the fixed costs in Panama are lower than those in USA, including trained personnel, insurance, lawyers, and the cost of renting facilities.
In general health and medical services can cost 1/3 to 1/2 less in Panama than the cost in the USA.
That dosen't mean that the Panamanian doctors are not good or have 1/2 the expertise or credentials compared to the USA doctors. What it means is that the fixed costs in Panama are lower than those in USA, including trained personnel, insurance, lawyers, and the cost of renting facilities.
Posted March 14, 2013
Roy Cannon - Gestoria Cocle - main office in Penoneme
Once you get a residence visa, if you are "of a certain age" (55 for women, 60 for men) you will qualify for "Jubiliado" discounts of between 15-20% for medical, dental, pharmacy, opticians, laboratory and hospital expenses - and this includes cosmetic surgery procedures.
Office visits to a doctor seem to range in price from $35 to $75, before applying your Jubilado discount, if this applies.
Once you get a residence visa, if you are "of a certain age" (55 for women, 60 for men) you will qualify for "Jubiliado" discounts of between 15-20% for medical, dental, pharmacy, opticians, laboratory and hospital expenses - and this includes cosmetic surgery procedures.
Office visits to a doctor seem to range in price from $35 to $75, before applying your Jubilado discount, if this applies.
Posted April 15, 2013
Albert Obbens - Albert Obbens
If you have a jubilado ("retirement" or "pensionado") visa, you are entitled to discounts on doctor bills, hospitals and also medicines. Since July 2013, in most cases 22%. Nevertheless prices for surgery, for instance, can be very different. It is wise to check a doctor's reputation, which in Panama in general is excellent, but also the costs
I will give one example. A client of ours needed hip surgery and wanted a titanium...
If you have a jubilado ("retirement" or "pensionado") visa, you are entitled to discounts on doctor bills, hospitals and also medicines. Since July 2013, in most cases 22%. Nevertheless prices for surgery, for instance, can be very different. It is wise to check a doctor's reputation, which in Panama in general is excellent, but also the costs
I will give one example. A client of ours needed hip surgery and wanted a titanium replacement. In David, she checked, with the help of Yarileth Gomez, three doctors of good reputation in three clinics. Price went down from $20,000 to $ 5,000. She had the surgery and was very happy with the quality of the work as well as the service and friendliness of the staff of the clinic. The only difference was indeed the cost. This is the same with dentists and ophthalmologists, as we heard from other clients. Do the check!
Posted October 8, 2013
Roger J. Pentecost - Boquete Valley of Flowers Condos
The cost of medical services in Panama is far more affordable than most people are expecting when they arrive here. I have lived here for six years and I find the medical treatments and services to be affordable. I know here in Boquete we have several doctors, and some speak English, while others usually have a nurse or secretary who can translate. You don't make appointments, you show up after 2 pm or 3 pm to see Dr. Chen because he does his morning work at the public clinic for...
The cost of medical services in Panama is far more affordable than most people are expecting when they arrive here. I have lived here for six years and I find the medical treatments and services to be affordable. I know here in Boquete we have several doctors, and some speak English, while others usually have a nurse or secretary who can translate. You don't make appointments, you show up after 2 pm or 3 pm to see Dr. Chen because he does his morning work at the public clinic for the locals and Indians. A typical charge is $10 for an appointment. I do think it costs a bit more for the first appointment and paperwork. There are numerous labs all over town that do blood, urine, and other tests; usually without a doctor's orders. However the doctor will order tests and you go to a lab or one he recommends and pay for those tests. Results are often same day or within a few days. Costs range from less than $10 dollars to upwards of $60 or higher. Average INR tests cost around $6; while a fasting cholesterol test will run an average of $28.
In Boquete a lady I know had an EKG done recently for $15. People purchase most medications here without a prescription but some require a doctor's
prescription.
The city of David is only 30 or 40 minutes away from where I live in Boquete. We have ambulance service, there are care flights and in Panama City some very modern and upscale medical facilities. One is managed by John Hopkins and many of the doctors are trained in America. The common idea is that this small country is more or less third world in the fields of medicine, I think not. It may be different but the people here seem to have longevity and attain a rip old age.
You can pay for additional international coverage; a bit more expensive but worth it. I think you should consider what you pay for in America or other countries and call insurance companies in Panama and compare prices and services. I personally find this to be a better quality of life than in any other country. I have lived in the UK, Canada and spent time in the USA.
Virtually surprising to most people is that just the quality of the air they breathe; the climate; the food, and access to fresh fruits and vegetables alone improves ones health!
Posted October 13, 2013
Albert Obbens - Albert Obbens
Healthcare and medical services are much cheaper in Panama than in the USA. Depending on your age you can have health insurance from around $60 per month. You can get one up to 60 years of age maximum, but if you have the insurance they will never terminate it.
Nevertheless you need to ask prices before you choose for a surgery. For example, hip surgery can be between $5,000 and $2,.000 if you have no insurance.
Healthcare and medical services are much cheaper in Panama than in the USA. Depending on your age you can have health insurance from around $60 per month. You can get one up to 60 years of age maximum, but if you have the insurance they will never terminate it.
Nevertheless you need to ask prices before you choose for a surgery. For example, hip surgery can be between $5,000 and $2,.000 if you have no insurance.
Posted October 15, 2013
Philip McGuigan - Chiriqui United, an Association of the leading humanitarian organizations in the Chiriqui Province of Panama
Panama is a destination for elective surgery and all kinds of other medical treatments because the healthcare in Panama is highly affordable and it is of excellent quality.
One of the reasons it is so affordable is that Panama does not have a big medical malpractice bar. I am sensitive to this issue because my personal physician in Chicago ended up taking early retirement because he didn’t want to deal with his huge insurance payments for malpractice.
One of the reasons it is so affordable is that Panama does not have a big medical malpractice bar. I am sensitive to this issue because my personal physician in Chicago ended up taking early retirement because he didn’t want to deal with his huge insurance payments for malpractice.
Panama is a destination for elective surgery and all kinds of other medical treatments because the healthcare in Panama is highly affordable and it is of excellent quality.
One of the reasons it is so affordable is that Panama does not have a big medical malpractice bar. I am sensitive to this issue because my personal physician in Chicago ended up taking early retirement because he didn’t want to deal with his huge insurance payments for malpractice.
One of the reasons it is so affordable is that Panama does not have a big medical malpractice bar. I am sensitive to this issue because my personal physician in Chicago ended up taking early retirement because he didn’t want to deal with his huge insurance payments for malpractice.
Posted July 6, 2014
Jade Wills - Maya Moon Marketing
The last time I went to the clinic in Pedasi, Panama with my young daughter was for a sinus problem and a cold. The cost for the visit and throat culture was US $3 and the de-congestion medicine was $2.50.
I took my mother to this clinic several times and the cost was around $3 or $4. I went there for a scorpion string and it was a couple dollars to see the doctor.
I took my mother to this clinic several times and the cost was around $3 or $4. I went there for a scorpion string and it was a couple dollars to see the doctor.
The last time I went to the clinic in Pedasi, Panama with my young daughter was for a sinus problem and a cold. The cost for the visit and throat culture was US $3 and the de-congestion medicine was $2.50.
I took my mother to this clinic several times and the cost was around $3 or $4. I went there for a scorpion string and it was a couple dollars to see the doctor.
I took my mother to this clinic several times and the cost was around $3 or $4. I went there for a scorpion string and it was a couple dollars to see the doctor.
Posted July 19, 2014
Roger J. Pentecost - Boquete Valley of Flowers Condos
My wife recently had a very serious surgery at Hospital Paitilla, Panama City, Panama, which has facilities equal to or better than you would expect in the US and Canada at a top hospital.
Her daily rate in the hospital was around $300 / day.
Intensive care was $700 per day.
The entire bill; the operation, the anesthetist, all the tests, everything, including being checked up free of charge by a world renowned surgeon (16 years head of his department at...
Her daily rate in the hospital was around $300 / day.
Intensive care was $700 per day.
The entire bill; the operation, the anesthetist, all the tests, everything, including being checked up free of charge by a world renowned surgeon (16 years head of his department at...
My wife recently had a very serious surgery at Hospital Paitilla, Panama City, Panama, which has facilities equal to or better than you would expect in the US and Canada at a top hospital.
Her daily rate in the hospital was around $300 / day.
Intensive care was $700 per day.
The entire bill; the operation, the anesthetist, all the tests, everything, including being checked up free of charge by a world renowned surgeon (16 years head of his department at Sloan Kettering in the US) three or four times was around $15,000, which we estimate would cost around ten times that amount in the United States. The cost to see the surgeon afterwards for an office visit was $40 / visit.
In Panama, chemo treatment is a quarter of the price as it would be in the US.
In Panama, my wife takes injections for $164 each. In the US, the cheapest you could get them would be $1,800.
A visit to a doctor in his office in Boquete, where we live, is $10. House calls are $30. (We use Dr. Chan, who is a very good doctor.)
Her daily rate in the hospital was around $300 / day.
Intensive care was $700 per day.
The entire bill; the operation, the anesthetist, all the tests, everything, including being checked up free of charge by a world renowned surgeon (16 years head of his department at Sloan Kettering in the US) three or four times was around $15,000, which we estimate would cost around ten times that amount in the United States. The cost to see the surgeon afterwards for an office visit was $40 / visit.
In Panama, chemo treatment is a quarter of the price as it would be in the US.
In Panama, my wife takes injections for $164 each. In the US, the cheapest you could get them would be $1,800.
A visit to a doctor in his office in Boquete, where we live, is $10. House calls are $30. (We use Dr. Chan, who is a very good doctor.)
Posted July 22, 2014
David Whittington - Tucan Golf Club and Resort
When I first got to Boquete, I had a doctor’s examination for the flu, which cost me US $7. A doctor’s visit now in Boquete is US $10. For a recent visit for the flu, they charged me between $12 to $15, medicine included.
Where I live now, close to Panama City, a doctor’s visit is generally $12. The highest price for a doctor’s visit I’ve seen in Panama is a clinic in Panama Pacifico (an extremely nice area) run by Americans,...
Where I live now, close to Panama City, a doctor’s visit is generally $12. The highest price for a doctor’s visit I’ve seen in Panama is a clinic in Panama Pacifico (an extremely nice area) run by Americans,...
When I first got to Boquete, I had a doctor’s examination for the flu, which cost me US $7. A doctor’s visit now in Boquete is US $10. For a recent visit for the flu, they charged me between $12 to $15, medicine included.
Where I live now, close to Panama City, a doctor’s visit is generally $12. The highest price for a doctor’s visit I’ve seen in Panama is a clinic in Panama Pacifico (an extremely nice area) run by Americans, where they charged me $20.
I recently went to the doctor for a bacterial infection. The cost for the visit, the medicine, and the injection was $18 total.
In Boquete, I used to go to the doctor’s office to get my blood pressure checked. I’d walk in, they would check it for me, and write it on my record. They never charged me anything.
The price for medications in Panama seems to be about the same as they are in Canada. In Panama, however, the pharmacists are much less strict about you needing a prescription for refills. For some items, you don’t need a prescription at all. For example, in Canada, I needed a prescription for an inhaler. Here in Panama, they just sell it to you.
Where I live now, close to Panama City, a doctor’s visit is generally $12. The highest price for a doctor’s visit I’ve seen in Panama is a clinic in Panama Pacifico (an extremely nice area) run by Americans, where they charged me $20.
I recently went to the doctor for a bacterial infection. The cost for the visit, the medicine, and the injection was $18 total.
In Boquete, I used to go to the doctor’s office to get my blood pressure checked. I’d walk in, they would check it for me, and write it on my record. They never charged me anything.
The price for medications in Panama seems to be about the same as they are in Canada. In Panama, however, the pharmacists are much less strict about you needing a prescription for refills. For some items, you don’t need a prescription at all. For example, in Canada, I needed a prescription for an inhaler. Here in Panama, they just sell it to you.
Posted August 2, 2014
Marla Diaz
Health insurance in Panama isn’t like it is in the States. First, there’s the cost. For our family of 3, we pay US $172 / month vs. $500 + per month we paid in the States when we left. We have international insurance, which also covers me in the States. When my husband got his insurance though a company here in Panama, he only paid $67 / month.
Health insurance in Panama isn’t like it is in the States. First, there’s the cost. For our family of 3, we pay US $172 / month vs. $500 + per month we paid in the States when we left. We have international insurance, which also covers me in the States. When my husband got his insurance though a company here in Panama, he only paid $67 / month.
Posted August 17, 2014
Terry Bradford
Medical services and healthcare in Panama are very inexpensive and that is why people come here to have a hip replacement or a knee surgery; it is because it costs a lot less than in the US.
I had a couple of lab tests about 6 months ago and if I paid out of pocket, and if the lab test was done in the US, that would have cost about US $75 but since I had it done here in Panama, I only paid $11.73. Another example is when I had an emergency when we first got here. I had a flu that...
Medical services and healthcare in Panama are very inexpensive and that is why people come here to have a hip replacement or a knee surgery; it is because it costs a lot less than in the US.
I had a couple of lab tests about 6 months ago and if I paid out of pocket, and if the lab test was done in the US, that would have cost about US $75 but since I had it done here in Panama, I only paid $11.73. Another example is when I had an emergency when we first got here. I had a flu that was one step under N1H1 and I didn’t know, so they took me to the hospital. I was on IV for at least 4 hours. The four doctors who took care of me were bilingual and they all went to Johns Hopkins. They did a lot of lab work on me. My bill came to $175 and the lab work came to $125. Spending that amount of time in a hospital in the US, may easily cost you $4,000 to $5,000 and the lab work would be another couple hundred dollars, maybe around $500 of $600.
As baby boomers, we laid out in the sun with iodine and baby oil many years ago and we are paying for it now. So every six months, we go for a checkup to see that there is no Melanoma. In the States, consultation would be approximately $100. They would charge you extra for any new procedure that they would do, and that might be another $50 or so. Here in Panama, we can go to our dermatologist every six months and the normal price will be around $50. With the retiree discount or what’s called here as ‘Descuento de Jubilado’ it would be $40 and that is for a full one hour consultation.
Posted September 23, 2014
MANUEL GRANADOS - MEDICAL SERVICE PANAMA, S.A. (MS PANAMA, S.A.)
Compared to the United States, healthcare and medical services in Panama are a lot cheaper, perhaps a quarter of what you pay in the US. As an example, the cost for a hernia surgery here in Panama is around US $3,000 without insurance (in other words, if you paid cash, with no insurance), and we know for sure that in the United States, a hernia surgery would cost probably $10,000 or even more. If you have insurance in Panama, of course, insurance...
Compared to the United States, healthcare and medical services in Panama are a lot cheaper, perhaps a quarter of what you pay in the US. As an example, the cost for a hernia surgery here in Panama is around US $3,000 without insurance (in other words, if you paid cash, with no insurance), and we know for sure that in the United States, a hernia surgery would cost probably $10,000 or even more. If you have insurance in Panama, of course, insurance would pay some of it, so you would pay less than $3,000.
Posted May 12, 2015
Elcira Maimone
The cost for private healthcare and medical services in Panama varies depending on where you go. We also have public healthcare services. If you prefer going to a private clinic, you could go to a general doctor Panama City, which costs about US $50 or less, without insurance, out of pocket. There are also private clinics in Chitré, where I live, about 3 hours by car from Panama City. However, most people prefer going to Panama City because they have greater...
The cost for private healthcare and medical services in Panama varies depending on where you go. We also have public healthcare services. If you prefer going to a private clinic, you could go to a general doctor Panama City, which costs about US $50 or less, without insurance, out of pocket. There are also private clinics in Chitré, where I live, about 3 hours by car from Panama City. However, most people prefer going to Panama City because they have greater access to medicine and supplies over there, and you can easily get the results of your lab tests in Panama City.
There are also good dentists here in Panama. Going to the dentist costs around $45 for a cleaning. A filling will not cost you over $100.
(Elcira Maimonte's daughter's tooth comes out, Chitre, Panama, pictured.)
Posted April 8, 2016
Elcira Maimone
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The cost for private healthcare and medical services in Panama varies depending on where you go. We also have public healthcare services. If you prefer going to a private clinic, you could go to a general doctor Panama City, which costs about US $50 or less, without insurance, out of pocket.There are also private clinics in Chitré, where I live, about 3 hours by car from Panama City. However, most people prefer going to Panama City because they have greater access...
The cost for private healthcare and medical services in Panama varies depending on where you go. We also have public healthcare services. If you prefer going to a private clinic, you could go to a general doctor Panama City, which costs about US $50 or less, without insurance, out of pocket.There are also private clinics in Chitré, where I live, about 3 hours by car from Panama City. However, most people prefer going to Panama City because they have greater access to medicine and supplies over there, and you can easily get the results of your lab tests in Panama City.
There are also good dentists here in Panama. Going to the dentist costs around $45 for a cleaning. A filling will not cost you over $100.
(The tooth of Elcira Maimone's daughter comes out, Chitre, Panama, pictured.)
Posted April 8, 2016