Preventive care in Brazil

Be fortunate to marry (24 years) a Brazilian wife who is extremely caring, knowledgeable and resourceful. She has ensured that I have New Teeth (couldn't take new patients when I was in New England), Tumor Operation, Shingles and more. Having a person of Brazilian origin have your back is indispensable.

Roddie in Retirement🕵

P.S. When i had Shingles, which is by far the most painful thing I have ever experienced. I preventively had two shots, spaced apart at the Walmart Pharmacy in the USA. years ago, but it unexpectedly came back. Any "preventive" action you take may not be permanent. Get someone by your side.

Marry a Brasilian schooled and trained physiotherapist like I did. She specializes in the neurological elderly (which I won't need for about 20 years I hope) and amputees (which is why I am barred from motorcycle ownership} KKKKKKKKK.

@Gasparzinho 777

There you go.😎

@roddiesho yikes, I feel for you!  I am just getting over a very mild case of shingles.  I had not gotten the vaccine in Brazil and was going to do it in the US.  The day we landed in the US I got symptoms and a rash and some pain.  I truly believe I got shingles because of the stress of the new CDC regulations regarding dogs flying into US from high risk rabies countries!  I blame the CDC ; ). I will get the vaccinations as soon as the MD clears me.  But back to the subject of preventative care in Brazil.  In Brazil the shingles vaccinations were not covered by insurance like in the US.

@Droplover Sorry, I could not find a translation for "mild" for what I had. Anyway, I would not blame anything. I think this should fall under "Now We Know". Mine came after I had to go to the US for over 3 months assembling immigration documentation and waiting for an appointment with the US Consulate.  It definitely was a stressful situation, but I guess No Gain, Without Pain. I am now a Permanent Brazilian Resident for Life.

Roddie in Retirement🕵

P.S. I got my shingles vaccination at the Walmart Pharmacy in MD. I am pretty sure there was no insurance involved.

Hello everyone,

As an expat in Brazil, taking care of your health would be one of your main priorities. Preventive healthcare plays a crucial role in keeping fit and healthy. We therefore would like to invite you to share your insights on preventive care in Brazil, so as to best take care or your health as an expat and navigate the local healthcare system.

Here are a few questions to start with:

What preventive care plans and measures are available in Brazil?

Can expats easily access preventive healthcare services?

Does health insurance cover preventive care in Brazil or is there any other scheme available? Any tips to choose the right plan?

How to get informed about preventive care plans or events: any useful website, hotline, or media that you’ve found helpful?

What is the local attitude towards preventive care and how did you adjust to it?

Share your experiences and tips to help fellow expats.

Thank you for your contribution.

Cheryl
Expat.com Team - @Cheryl

Your best bet is to live in a region where Health Care is a Matter of Public Policy.

That is, if you qualify to actually use it.

On remedial health care, i.e. a surgical intervention, you can actually pay out of your pocket to get the best there is out there.

Now, a lot of Expats fancy living in some sun baked coastal town and getting access to decent health care.  With a few exceptions, the overwhelming majority of these locals are  poorly suited for decent health care delivery. Even the preventive kind.

While the general assumption is that SUS, or the Single Payer Free Health Care is a free for all, most the best programs are in Metro Regions that co-fund in matters of equipment, facilities, staff.   Back water sun baked sand strips do no get to provide for such in depth care. Neither public, nor private.

And hence why they ask for proof of local residence.,  To make sure they weed out the mulchers out there.

My local City Run Hospital ( on out of a half dozen private and public facilities in a five mile radius ) just acquired,,about 5 months ago,  a  Canon CT Scanner.  That is well over a million dollars, before customs, so chalk it up to 2 millions after delivery.

My cost, if I am prescribed a Cat Scan, zero. If I went to the local non profit, and paid out of my pocket, the same would cost me R$ 800, and some places up toi R$ 1500

They make sure locals come first and will come up with some bureaucratic hurdle to deny outsiders access to quality health care. 

I am not living full time in Brazil, when in Brazil I found some health care relatively cheap, like echocardiogram (I have CHF) was about 300 Br. I had an Echocardiogram done every stay in Brazil.

I have a number of medical issues now including two cancers which have just been diagnosed. I am currently entitled to, and seeking care in UK.

If I recover completely or if it gets terminal I plan to spend my remaining time in Brazil.

I bought a home in Brazil, which I will leave to my Brazilian fiancé.

@DavidPH Where in Brazil?  Our Best Wishes! My wife and my 97-year-old mother live in a tiny village in Northeastern Brazil. When I visited my 99-year-old father in R.I., they would not take new patients, so all my health work was done in Brazil and yes, it was pretty affordable. My father wanted us to take our Brazilian Mother back to her homeland if he passed first and so I too will stay here as a Permanent Residence to enjoy my senior life.

Roddie in Retirement🕵

Hi,

Northeast Brazil, sounds close, although Brazil is so large, maybe not that close.

RN state, a coastal village/town, it was around 25,000 population, probably more now.

I bought a small home in Areia Branca, near Mossoro.

11/13/24 @DavidPH.  All the best for a speedy and complete recovery, and many happy years in Areia Branca.

@abthree obrigado