Healthcare

Uruguay’s main healthcare providers consist of regional HMOs¹ and PPOs located in Montevideo with agreements with HMOs throughout the country. People who are employed², self-employed or own a business in Uruguay can access healthcare at an affordable cost³ regardless of their age and preexisting health conditions.

All of the following services are included:

  • Advice on required foreign documents.
  • Obtaining the required Uruguayan documents.
  • Interpreting and scheduling assistance with local offices.
  • Importation of medicine not available in Uruguay.
  • Social Security (BPS) user setup to verify payroll tax contributions (obligatory for employees, business owners, optional for self-employed people).
  • Abitab Mobile ID user setup (authentication service required to access your medical history).
  • Free Prex card (required to withdraw PayPal funds and pay for local services) order through Abitab.⁴
  • Free bus pass.
  • Free (birth, marriage, divorce, etc) certificate registration (required for permanent resident IDs and other procedures).⁵
  • Healthcare provider assessment.⁶
  • Doctor’s referrals.
  • Automatic payment setup.
  • Provider change (a 2 year minimum waiting period applies in most cases).⁷

¹ The oldest HMO was founded in the 1830s as a means of making good quality healthcare affordable to the whole population, its tradition continues throughout all of them today.

² Only employees receive obligatory coverage through the National Healthcare Fund (FONASA) run by Social Security (BPS).

³ Self-employed people and businesses owners can choose to pay taxes to the National Healthcare Fund (FONASA) or join an HMO or PPO privately per their individual screening and requirements.

⁴COSEM offers 6 months of free ambulance service for those paying with a Uruguayan debit/credit card. Prex is accepted as a credit card (making it suitable if you don’t have a local account).

⁵You must register your relationship with BPS if you want your dependents to access healthcare through your FONASA contributions.⁸

⁶I highly recommend the British Hospital PPO because of their familiarity with Immigration’s requirements, common dealings with foreigners, strong English knowledge, state of the art facilities and unsurpassed quality services.

⁶COSEM is a more affordable option, the best HMO in Montevideo, it can be accessed through FONASA, it has several clinics and service agreements with other HMOs across the country.

⁶La Asistencial HMO is the best healthcare provider in Maldonado with clinics all over its cities. It has excellent ever growing facilities which house the CLAEH’s nursing school.

⁷A 2 year minimum waiting period (commonly called ‘corralito’ meaning ‘little pen’) applies when a healthcare provider is chosen. Either by becoming a private patient or by contributing to FONASA. A change can only be done during a single month associated to the last digit of your Uruguayan ID card.

⁸FONASA taxpayers and beneficiaries can only access HMOs through it (not PPOs).⁹

⁹Most providers impose a membership restriction up to the age of 60 and/or in the case of serious pre-existing conditions. However, membership cannot be denied to FONASA taxpayers and beneficiaries. Their membership process takes 20 minutes and it doesn’t involve any health screenings.

*My services are available nationwide.

**All of my relocation services aren’t included.

Cost: Hourly 50 USD / 2000 UYU rate.