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Ecuador International Health Insurance / Healthcare System |
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 Ecuador is one of the poorest Latin American countries – only recently recovering from social, political and economic crises. Ecuador has a population exceeding 14 million people.
The unstable political situation in Ecuador in the past has impacted the governance of the healthcare sector in the country. However, with a degree of stability returning to government, the Ecuadorian healthcare sector has been able to implement programmes to effect improvements, with a stronger focus on regional autonomy being applied.
Ecuador's healthcare system is comprised of public and private healthcare facilities, with some good private healthcare facilities present in the country. Better quality healthcare is available in the cities and large towns, but it can be very expensive; Quito, Cuenca, and Guayaquil are home to state–of–the–art private healthcare facilities and specialist medical physicians.
The Ministry of Public Health and Social Security Institute in Ecuador is responsible for overseeing the health sector in the country, its prime function is to ensure the health of Ecuadorians continuously improves and to monitoring standards of healthcare throughout Ecuador. The Ecuadorian healthcare system is seen as complex – undergoing reform in recent years, with increased government spending.
The Ministry of Public Health (MPH) is the national regulatory body with responsibility over healthcare in Ecuador, managing all processes affecting health policies in Ecuador. In recent years the MPH has taken steps to improve the health sector in Ecuador, with an emphasis on the education of Ecuadorians to promote health awareness and ensuring hospitals and clinics – in both public and private healthcare facilities – meet government standards and regulations.
Over the period between 2007 and 2008, the Ecuadorian healthcare system went through a transition, with the aim of improving access to healthcare for to Ecuadorian citizens. Prior to the reform program, it was documented that 27% of the Ecuadorian population did not have access to healthcare; public healthcare only reached 49% of Ecuadorian citizens, with 44.3% of the health expenditure coming directly from Ecuadorian households.
Since 2008, Ecuador has provided basic public healthcare free for all Ecuadorian citizens, including basic medication, surgical procedures and doctor consultations. The government has taken steps to improve the access to healthcare in Ecuador, but fundamental flaws in the Ecuadorian health sector still exist. Medical services outside well populated areas are minimal, with Ecuadorians in remote areas only having very basic, or in some cases, non–existent healthcare coverage. While there is free healthcare for Ecuadorians in the country, it is limited, with more complicated medical procedures requiring patients to meet financial costs. This is a major issue – in 2008, it was estimated that roughly 35% of the population lived below the poverty line.
Certain sections of the Ecuador population are covered by government–run schemes managed by The Social Security Institute (IESS), with a scheme for public sector employees – such as the armed forces, the (ISFFA) – and the national police social security institute (ISSPOL) There are also insurance programs for at–risk elements of the population – such as pregnant women. In 2005, only 15.3% of the population had some form of health insurance.
Wealthy Ecuadorian citizens – who can afford private health insurance – will do so because private healthcare facilities supply a significantly better quality of medical service, with
medical specialists present in Quito, Cuenca, and Guayaquil. Ecuadorian public healthcare facilities suffer a chronic problem with waiting times – especially hospitals in cities and towns – as Ecuadorians requiring more comprehensive treatments need to seek medical services in public hospitals capable of providing the medical services required. As public healthcare facilities outside the cities and towns are limited, the people from rural areas will travel to the cities for medical treatment; this in itself is a problem as transport from rural areas is difficult, costly and slow.
As a foreign national in Ecuador, you will have access to private health facilities, providing a good standard of medical services. However, treatment is expensive and does not match the healthcare standards found in the USA and Western European. The majority of the better quality private health facilities are based in Quito, Cuenca, and Guayaquil, with state–of–the–art medical equipment and highly trained doctors. It is strongly advised that all foreign nationals in Ecuador should take out international health insurance cover for Ecuador, which needs to include air ambulance services – in case of the need for evacuation to an alternative country for specialist treatment. It is important to ensure you have medical coverage for the duration of your stay in the country.
There are major diseases endemic to Ecuador – most notably dengue fever and malaria – but both are normally confined to the coastal and jungle regions of Ecuador. In 2004, a total of 28,698 cases of malaria were recorded. When regional outbreaks occur in the country, it can place a strain on the Ecuadorian public healthcare system. As the remote and rural areas of the country have limited healthcare access, it means small healthcare facilities can become overwhelmed at these times.
Because Ecuador is still emerging from political, social and economic upheaval, the healthcare system in the country is still in need of further development and improvement – in particular the access to health services for poorer Ecuadorians in rural areas. However, private healthcare provides adequate medical care in the cities across Ecuador; but it is out of reach for many Ecuadorian citizens as it is expensive. While there are still flaws in the Ecuadorian healthcare system, improvements have been made over the last decade.
Low pay for medical professionals in the public healthcare sectors has pushed better doctors into the private healthcare sector. As much of the public healthcare facilities are still inadequately equipped, the medical treatment available for the majority of Ecuadorians is still sub–standard. However, the Ecuadorian government has set the foundations to improve the health sector and the health of Ecuadorians in recent years. Now Ecuador has entered the initial stage of public healthcare reform, it is faced with the challenge to make the access to health equal and widespread across the country. This is bringing additional challenges – as the availability of healthcare becomes more readily available – the numbers seeking treatment has increased causing crowding and increase waiting times.
If you are a short term traveler or expatriate in Ecuador, it is important you have the correct Ecuadorian international medical insurance in place for the duration of your stay in the country. This should give you full medical coverage for all eventualities they may arise. Ensure your medical insurance for Ecuador includes air ambulance for you and your family as medical costs for these services can be extremely expensive.
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Ecuador International Health Insurance |
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Ecuadorian international health insurance is strongly recommended for foreign nationals visiting or relocating to Ecuador, including cover for emergency evacuation or repatriation. If you are looking for peace-of-mind knowing that medical costs will be covered in case of an accident or illness, to yourself and your family, while traveling to or residing in Ecuador an international medical insurance plan will be the ideal solution. Policies can be tailor–made to ensure all your needs are met while in Ecuador. Should you require further information on Ecuador, global medical insurance, or to receive a free quotation, please do not hesitate to call one of our expert advisers now. |
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