An Expat's Guide to Private Health Insurance in Portugal

If you move abroad to Portugal and will not be working then you will not be eligible to receive benefits under the public health system in Portugal. However, if you have previously made social security contributions in another European Union member country then you will most likely be eligible to receive benefits from the public health system in Portugal. If you are not entitled to receive benefits from the public health system in Portugal then you will need to have your own private health insurance to cover you for medical services and treatments.

If you find your self needing private health insurance in Portugal you should make sure that you sign up with an insurance company that will pay your large medical bills (if you incur any) directly to the hospital or doctors. Most Portuguese private health insurance companies will pay 100 percent of the costs associated with hospital treatment and specialist services in Portuguese hospitals. However, most of them will not cover the costs of family doctors or medications that are not received in a hospital. Some even have an excess limit which is around 75 Euros that they will not pay over that amount.

To qualify for private health insurance from a Portuguese provider, you will have to be under the age of 55. If you are over this age then you will have to seek private health insurance from a foreign company. The cost of private health insurance in Portugal varies but can be pretty expensive. Younger families find that they are offered cheaper rates typically. A rule of thumb is that the higher you cost of insurance then the more choices you end up having in regards to doctors and hospitals that you can visit. The older you are the more difficult it is to find an affordable policy.

You should beware of companies with clauses that allow them to drop you from the policy or raise your insurance rates once you reach a certain age. Typically this happens once you reach age 65 or 70.