Low-Cost Health Care in Costa Rica

Costa Rica had a revolution in 1947, that made it unusual in Latin America. It no longer has a military, only a number of police forces, that have no political power. It also has free education and health care. It is the health care I want to write about today - because it is unusual.

The public health service (the CAJA) was intended to be free, but instead it is low-cost - which is quite an accomplishment in itself. It is paid for, by deductions from the paychecks of workers. Or, by monthly payments by residents, such as me. My monthly payment is sixty dollars a month, in Colones, the National currency.

Most of the health care is provided by clinics, that are located everywhere, even in the smallest towns. The quality of care provided varies greatly - with good care provided in the richer parts of the country, and poor care in the poor parts of the country. The Government tries to provide better care for the poor parts of the country, but it doesn't have the money to do much about this.

These clinics also have pharmacies, that provide the medication, that is prescribed by the clinic's doctors, for free. These are very popular.

Visiting a clinic is not easy, you have to wait in line, just to get in. And then you have to fill out many forms, each of which has to be formally approved by the appropriate authority. The paperwork required to do anything in the undeveloped world, is awesome. This inefficiency is one reason, the underdeveloped countries remain underdeveloped.

Hospitals, in the larger cities, also exist. But the care provided in these hospitals is also basic. Any illness that requires the use of a medical specialist, involves a long wait, of many months.

For this reason, every hospital is surrounded by many clinics - that provide such specialized care, such as the neurologist I consulted recently. This high-quality care is inexpensive, compared to the same services in the US - but you have to shop carefully.