Getting health insurance when you’re a temporary resident

For private insurance It’s a straightforward process:

1.) Select the insurance company you want. You can go to their offices and some have booths at malls.

2.) Provide cédula, and answer questions (biographic, pre-existing, etc).

3.) Select the insurance plan you want.

4.) Provide bank information so they can automatically debit monthly cost of insurance.

5.) In two weeks or so you’ll receive by courier your insurance card and a hard-copy of insurance policy.

If you want proof of insurance go to one of their offices and request such.

For private insurance It’s a straightforward process:

1.) Select the insurance company you want. You can go to their offices and some have booths at malls.

2.) Provide cédula, and answer questions (biographic, pre-existing, etc).

3.) Select the insurance plan you want.

4.) Provide bank information so they can automatically debit monthly cost of insurance.

If you will only be in Ecuador for a short time, find out if you can pay cash monthly instead of using your credit card or bank draw. Some individuals have had difficulty stopping the deductions when ending the coverage. Watch your account, if you chose to pay automatically, and notify your card company or bank to stop the deductions when it is time to drop the insurance.

Thanks.

As I understand, you cannot obtain a cedula while you're a temporary resident. Only once you've been approved for permanency.

So, how does it work without cedula?

Thank you

Lafrisee wrote:

Thanks.

As I understand, you cannot obtain a cedula while you're a temporary resident. Only once you've been approved for permanency.

So, how does it work without cedula?

Thank you

Don't worry about it. Your passport will suffice, and I just confirmed this.

Yes, you can now obtain a cedula with a Temproary visa.

However, the catch is you must have health care prior to applying.

What most people do is get a short term travelers health care that they can stop at their own time of choosing.

Using this they can then apply for their cedula, and using the cedula sign up for IESS (Ecuadorian social health care).  After three months of on time payment, IESS kicks in to cover service and you can then discontinue your short term plan.

About some of the local private health care companies: following the blitz of sign ups by expats following last years changes in the law many expats discovered their company of choice was not living up to their contract.  Failures to pay hospitals, emergency care, and doctors visits became obvious .

The company with the most online responses to the complaint situation has been Bellgenica.  It's representative agent on the coast had a 4 part and now ongoing "apology for poor performance" to its customers and now a "how we do business so you need to follow our methods"  series.  This was posted publicly on a local email list and was then disseminated to the rest of the internet by fellow expats angry with the poor service, high rates, and failures to respond. 

Something to think about when considering local private health insurance.  They are not all this poor but they aren't all that great either.