Puerto Rico Medical Insurance News

Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic, and in between the Caribbean Sea and the north Atlantic sea. Populated for centuries by indigenous locals, Puerto Rico was discovered and colonized by the Spanish in 1493, following Columbus′s second voyage to the America′s. In 1898 after 400 years of Spanish reigns, cheap African slaves were introduced to the region as a means of working the land, as the indigenous populations were nearly exterminated. Later that year Puerto Rico was ceded to the U.S by the Spanish crown following the Spanish - America war, and all Puerto Rican citizens were given U.S citizenship in 1917.

As a territory of the US, Puerto Rico′s health system is based on that of the US′s health system which consists of a mainly privately funded healthcare system. This means for Puerto Ricans, like their mainland counterparts, individuals have to take out their own forms of medical insurance, instead of relying on the state to take care of their health needs.

Medical facilities in Puerto Rico, like the US, are of very high standard, the best on offer on the Caribbean. However, as one of the states of America it is one of the unhealthiest states/territories of America. In Puerto Rico, out of all 52 states of America, has an average, consumes the most alcohol, does the least exercise, has the highest cases of asthma, and has the second highest rate of death by HIV and the highest rate of diabetes.

Thus said, it also is home to many tropical diseases and therefore a few different immunizations are recommended for those who wish to travel there. These include Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid and all the routine vaccinations, namely measles/mumps/rubella, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus, and polio virus.

However despite being apparently the unhealthiest of all states/territories of America, it retains a higher life expectancy rate, than the mainland. Puerto Rico′s life expectancy rate is 78.53 compared with the mainland′s 78.1. This highlights that although it maybe one of the unhealthiest states/territories in America, it also has one of the best healthcare systems.

The US spends approximately around 7.5-8% of its annual GDP on healthcare and services, this rate of expenditure is fairly standard across many other developed nations including the UK and Australia. US citizens planning to travel to Puerto Rico will still be covered by their local US plan, however it is advised you check prior to leaving so as to be absolutely sure.

Overall Puerto Rico has a well rounded healthcare service. As is true with any country in the world, there are some problems inherent in the system; however most people are able to receive the care that they need when they need it, despite being on a fairly remote Caribbean island. The only way to avoid the issues and concerns of any healthcare system in the world is through a quality international health insurance plan. These Puerto Rica expat health insurance plans give you the flexibility to go to the doctor or hospital of your choice, meaning that no matter where in the world you may be located, from Austria to the Zambia, you will always be able to receive the highest standard of care available.

For more information about Puerto Rico expat health insurance, the international health insurance plans that we can offer, or to receive a free quote, please contact one of our expert advisers today.

Do you offer maternity plans without waiting periods?
All the maternity plans that we can provide will have a waiting period attached to the coverage. Waiting periods will change with insurance companies and currently 10 months is the shortest that we can offer. A 10 month waiting period means that you cannot claim for any treatment received prior to having been on the plan for at least 10 months. Maternity plans will offer you a number of benefits including newborn coverage, specialist consultations, complimentary medicine, and will cover you should something happen during the pregnancy 2007-08-23 12:08:17
Category: coverage	Read Answer Here
Do health insurance plans offer coverage for vaccinations?
Pacific Prime can offer international health insurance plans which will include coverage for vaccinations, among a large range of other medical benefits. Health insurance companies will offer various types of health insurance plans that will typically include a range of Outpatient Benefits. International Health insurance plans will vary greatly among insurers, but most insurers will offer the option for coverage of vaccinations. An international health insurance plan will normally include worldwide coverage of treatments. Worldwide cover gives policy holders access to their health insurance benefits in any country across the globe, including South Korea. 2011-12-08 11:05:44
Category: Coverage , Emergency Evacuation , in-patient , out-patient	Read Answer Here