Expats will want to secure international health insurance to craft a safety net for themselves and their families in the event of injuries, illnesses, or just general healthcare to avoid the need to pay out-of-pocket. Additional benefits on top of default plans are also available as an option.

This Pacific Prime guide will discuss health insurance in El Salvador for expats to ensure you can ensure your safety and well-being in the country.

Recommended International Health Insurance Plans for Expatriates Living in El Salvador

The Healthcare System in El Salvador

El Salvador’s healthcare system encompasses public healthcare and private healthcare, the former of which is managed by the Ministry of Health and the latter of which consists of private facilities. Below we will discuss each primary sector of El Salvador’s healthcare system.

Health Insurance Options for Expats in El Salvador

El Salvador’s health insurance includes public and private health insurance, the former of which allows access to treatment at public healthcare facilities but at the cost of long waiting times or language barriers while its private counterpart grants access to hospitals with greater quality.

Below we will discuss the public and private health insurance options for expats in El Salvador.

Public Health Insurance in El Salvador

The country’s public healthcare is provided by the government organizations mentioned above and the public health insurance scheme will allow access to basic medical care at public hospitals but at the cost of longer waiting times and language barriers for some expats.

Below are notable advantages and drawbacks of public health insurance in El Salvador:

• Access to Basic Medical Care at Public Hospitals: Public health insurance in El Salvador allows local citizens and expats to access basic medical care at public hospitals, although quality may fluctuate between certain facilities.
• Potentially Long Waiting Times: Public hospitals in El Salvador are often understaffed and crowded, resulting in longer waiting times than many would like and delaying treatment.
• Language Barrier: For non-Spanish speaking expats, a language barrier could be an issue in communicating with and understanding what the medical staff are saying.

Due to the limitations and shortcomings mentioned above, expats tend to once again shy away from public health insurance in El Salvador in favor of its private counterpart, which brings us to our next point.

Private Health Insurance in El Salvador

On the other hand, thanks to additional benefits such as free selection or greater access to quality medical facilities, private health insurance is a preferred alternative among expats in El Salvador despite its much higher cost compared to its public health insurance counterpart.

Below are notable advantages of private health insurance for expats in El Salvador:

• Free Selection: Private health insurance will allow expats to freely choose any specific hospital or doctor as they would like, which may include hospitals with multilingual staff and shorter waiting times, which brings us to our next points.
• Shorter Waiting Times: Hospitals with shorter waiting times allow expats to access treatment in a timely manner regardless of the severity of their medical case.
• Access to Multilingual Staff: By allowing access to hospitals with multilingual staff, non-Spanish speaking expats can then communicate with and understand what the medical staff are saying much easier.
• Better Facilities: Since public hospitals in El Salvador aren’t that good, having a private health insurance plan will also allow you to pick hospitals that are better equipped.
• Additional Benefits: Private health insurance will also give you the option of adding benefits of your choosing, such as maternity or dental and vision coverage, on top of your default plans. This would be especially useful for families to ensure maximum healthcare accessibility.

Because public hospitals in El Salvador aren’t up to par in comparison to other North American countries, an international health insurance plan is strongly recommended especially for expats who are looking to relocate to El Salvador.

An international health insurance plan will not only allow access to local quality healthcare in El Salvador, but if let’s say you live in El Salvador where hospitals are either inaccessible or subpar in quality, if your plan covers medical evacuation then you can access better hospitals overseas.

Recommended International Health Insurance Plans for Expats in El Salvador

Notable international health insurance providers for expats in El Salvador include April International, Geoblue, and more. Below are brief descriptions of each insurer as well as a quick rundown of their general benefits.

Geoblue

The Xplorer health insurance plan from Geoblue has two types: essential and premier, and are made for expats traveling from the United States for business studying, or leisure purposes. Expats can also pick worldwide coverage options with or without the US.

Some of the shared features present throughout Geoblue’s various health insurance plans are as follows.

April International

April International’s health insurance plans are tailored to expats thanks to hospitalization, outpatient services, dental, and maternity coverage. They also feature user-friendly mobile claims and support, a 24/7 telemedicine service, and a vast direct billing network.

Listed below are shared areas of coverage across their plans:

Cigna Global

Cigna Global offers customizable, comprehensive health insurance plans, giving expats maximum flexibility thanks to 24/7 customer service access and come in the following variations:

• Silver
• Gold
• Platinum

Each plan has its own coverage limits and benefits. Below are the common coverage benefits shared across Cigna Global’s health insurance plans:

Factors to Consider When Securing Insurance in El Salvador

Expats in El Salvador securing health insurance will need to take some really crucial factors into consideration. Some of these factors may include the general subpar quality of public hospitals in the country in comparison to their private counterparts, foregoing price-based decisions, and more.

Listed below are crucial factors expats must consider when getting health insurance in El Salvador:

• Public Hospitals in El Salvador: As mentioned earlier, public hospitals in El Salvador are generally seen as inferior to their private counterparts due to understaffed, under-equipped facilities. If you are seeking efficient treatment, it may be worth investing in private hospitals.
• Don’t Decide Based on the Price: While affordable, the cheapest plan will not guarantee maximum coverage, which will be incredibly problematic for families as you’ll then have gaps of incomplete coverage among some family members.
• Comprehensiveness Comes First: Instead, look out for plans with comprehensive benefits like dental, maternity, or vision care. That way, you can ensure everyone in your family can access quality healthcare.
• Pre-Existing Conditions: Check with your selected insurer to verify about pre-existing conditions and eligibility in plan applications as some insurers will either reject your application or accept but with additional payment.

Public Hospitals in El Salvador

The Minister of Health-operated public hospitals and clinics in El Salvador are free to the population. Public healthcare in El Salvador is provided by the following organizations:

• Ministry of Public Health (MINSAL)
• Salvadoran Social Security Institute (ISSS)
• Salvadoran Integral Rehabilitation Institute (ISRI)
• Salvadoran Institute of Teachers Welfare (ISBM)
• Institute of Social Provision of the Army (IPSFA)
• Solitary Fund for Health (FOSALUD)

The country’s public healthcare sector allows access to public hospitals. However, these hospitals, which are subpar compared to most other North American countries, can be poorly-equipped, understaffed, and crowded, causing longer waiting times and language barriers could be problematic for expats.

Below are some examples of medical services provided in El Salvador’s public hospitals:

• Vaccinations
• Primary Care Consultations
• Common Illness Treatment

While public hospitals are available throughout El Salvador, its underequipped, understaffed, crowded facilities are the main reasons expats tend to shy away from public hospitals in favor of their private counterparts, which brings us to our next point.

Private Hospitals in El Salvador

Private hospitals in El Salvador, despite their much greater cost, make up for the shortcomings of their public counterparts by offering much shorter waiting times, allowing expats to get treatment in a timely manner, more multilingual staff for easier communication, and better-equipped facilities.

The following are some examples of prominent private hospitals in El Salvador:

• Centro Medico Escalon: Founded back in 1989, this hospital with state-of-the-art facilities features numerous branches of medical services such as neonatal intensive care for newborns, cardiology, neurology and neurosurgery, MRI, and more.
• Hospital Lourdes: This private hospital features a multitude of medical specialties including physiotherapy, endoscopy, neurology and neurosurgery, pediatrics, dentistry, and many more.

Health and Safety Tips for Expats in El Salvador

Expats in El Salvador will want to watch out for waterborne and insect-borne diseases like Leptospirosis and Dengue, respectively. Also, exercise caution about safety due to crimes like theft. Below are health and safety tips to keep in mind for expats in El Salvador:

• Leptospirosis: This waterborne disease is caused by coming into contact with contaminated water such as touching an infected animal’s fluids, accidentally drinking or eating contaminated food, or swimming in contaminated water. Avoid contaminated water and make sure you have access to clean water.
• Insect-Borne Diseases: Diseases like Dengue or Zika can be spread through mosquito bites. You can avoid mosquito bites by keeping your doors and windows locked to prevent any mosquitoes from entering. If you can, it might also be a good idea to install a mosquito trap in your house.
• Theft: Theft is also common in El Salvador where people may sneak up on you and steal items from your bag or steal your money, valuables, or documents when they’re left unattended. Don’t bring your valuables or large sums of money outside and don’t leave your belongings unattended.

Recommended Vaccines for Expats in El Salvador

Expats who are looking to live in El Salvador will want to update their vaccinations. Some recommended vaccines expats should take include the Dengue, Typhoid, and Yellow Fever vaccines.

The following are the types of vaccines expats should take:

• Influenza and other routine vaccines (Shingles, MMR, Chickenpox, etc)*
• COVID-19*
• Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B
• Measles
• Rabies
• Typhoid
• Yellow Fever

Note: “ * ” refers to vaccines expats should be up to date on.

For more information on injections, click here for further reading: El Salvador - Traveler view | Travelers' Health | CDC

Emergency Numbers for Expats in El Salvador

In case of an emergency, El Salvador has multiple emergency numbers ranging from the police to ambulances or the fire department available for usage. The available emergency numbers for expats and local citizens in El Salvador are as follows:

• Police: 911
• Ambulance: 913
• Fire Department: 132

Frequently Asked Questions

Is healthcare in El Salvador good?

El Salvador’s healthcare is considered subpar in comparison to most North American countries. This can be seen in its understaffed, under-equipped facilities. Because of this, expats and local citizens tend to shy away from public hospitals in El Salvador in favor of their private counterparts.

What are some common health issues in El Salvador?

Some common health issues in El Salvador include waterborne and insect-borne diseases. These include Leptospirosis, Dengue, and Zika. You can prevent these diseases by avoiding contaminated water and keeping your doors and windows closed to avoid mosquito infestations.

Is healthcare in El Salvador free of charge?

Ministry of Health-operated public hospitals and clinics are free to the population.

Conclusion

Since public hospitals in El Salvador are inferior to their private counterparts due to their understaffed, under-equipped facilities, expats tend to shy away from them in favor of their private counterparts. Thus, international health insurance is strongly recommended for maximum healthcare access.

And this is where Pacific Prime and our brokers with over 20 years of experience come in. We can help you compare and select plans that meet your unique healthcare needs as well as your budget to ensure you can craft an efficient safety net for both yourself and your family.

Contact us today or compare quotes with our online quotation system!