The healthcare plan you have now probably won’t cover you if you decide to be in Ecuador long term.
Fortunately, Ecuador has excellent health care options. The private system is a fee-based service with excellent doctors, nurses and facilities. The national health care plan (IESS) also has excellent doctors, nurses and facilities. Fees are based upon your income. So if you’re coming down here and not making an income in Ecuador, your monthly health care fees will likely be less than US$100.
Puerto López has a 24-hour health clinic staffed by doctors and nurses but it is not a full-fledged hospital. Those are located in Manta and Portoviejo – 90 minutes to the north.
But, Puerto López does have lots of doctors, specialists, labs and related medical service providers. A typical visit to a doctor to get something checked out typically will cost around $20. Procedures in Ecuador are a tiny fraction of the cost in North America.
Pharmacies and medication are widely available and almost all medication prescribed in North America is also available here – at a fraction of the cost.
Ecuador’s official currency is the US dollar.
Many foreign residents live in Puerto López and simply use their ATM cards to withdraw cash from their North American bank account for their daily necessities.
But, you can also open an account at an Ecuadorian bank (they pay around 10% interest on deposits). With an Ecuadorian bank account, you can transfer amounts from your home account to your Ecuadorian account and reduce fees and costs. You can get a credit card, loans and take advantage of the other services offered by your local bank.
It’s simple, easy and reliable!
