Health insurance in Peru for expats

The Peruvian healthcare system is decentralised and complex, with a combination of private and public facilities to serve its population of around 35 million people.²

The public healthcare system in Peru covers general practice clinics, hospitals and emergency departments, funded by health insurance payments. Everyone with legal residency in Peru is entitled to make use of these facilities, and the most basic elements of care are free at the point of use, such as emergency treatment, GP appointments, referred appointments with specialists, maternity care, and a limited amount of dental care.³ More advanced treatments may only be partially subsidised and therefore require additional co-payment by the patient.

Larger cities such as Lima – the capital – and Cusco also have a range of private healthcare facilities available, which can provide better-quality and more dedicated care. These generally require cash payments to be made up front⁴, but if you have private health insurance in place, you should be able to get this money reimbursed from your insurance provider.

Peru is officially considered a developing country by the OECD⁵, and this means that its public healthcare system struggles due to a lack of funding. Waiting times can be long, and some patients requiring non-urgent treatment can wait months to be seen. Rural areas are particularly affected, with only basic healthcare services available at small clinics, meaning patients needing advanced and/or urgent treatment often require transport or evacuation to the larger cities.⁴

Private healthcare, on the other hand, delivers a better quality of care, which is easier and faster to access for those who are willing to pay for it. These facilities will also generally have more staff who can speak and understand English, whereas staff in public healthcare will often only be able to speak Spanish.⁴

Public healthcare in Peru is funded through two main systems.
 
The first is SIS (Seguro Integral de Salud), which is government funded and provides free or heavily subsidised care to people with low incomes or no other health insurance.

The second is EsSalud, a social security system paid for through payroll contributions by employers and employees. If you work in Peru under formal employment, your contributions to EsSalud (and those from your employer) give you – and your dependents – rights to healthcare under that system. In most cases, EsSalud also covers working expats.

The EsSalud registration is relatively simple. Your employer is required to make social security contributions on your behalf and should be able to help you register when you start work with them. If you’re self-employed or retired, you can complete the registration and make your premium payments online.⁶

For SIS, you’ll need to visit an SIS registration office at a public hospital or health centre and complete the registration form there. You’ll need to wait a few weeks to receive your SIS card, which will entitle you to subsidised healthcare services.⁷

What kind of documentation do I need to access healthcare in Peru?

When registering for SIS, you’ll need your proof of identity (i.e. your passport), as well as proof of address and proof of your Peruvian residency status such as your resident visa or your foreign resident card.⁷

EsSalud contributions are 9% of an employee’s total salary but are covered by employers rather than being taken out of the employee’s salary.⁸

If you aren’t employed in Peru (i.e. you’re self-employed or retired), then you should pay for EsSalud coverage instead. These monthly costs gradually increase by age, starting at 86 Peruvian sols (approx. £18; $24; €21) for an under-18, to 165 sols for someone aged 60 or over (approx. £35; $46; €40).⁶

On top of these costs, you’ll also have to cover the co-payments for more advanced treatments, such as long hospital stays, operations, intensive care and radiography. Because of this expense, and because of some of the shortcomings of the public healthcare system, many people living in Peru choose to take out their own private health insurance plans so that they’re covered for all eventualities.⁹ Helpfully, this can also cover the reimbursement of the up-front payments that private hospitals generally require.

If you’re a short-term visitor to Peru without formal residency, then you won’t be entitled to use publicly funded healthcare services while you’re there, and taking out private medical insurance is therefore essential.¹⁰

If you’re visiting Peru for a short stay, then definitely. But even if you’re planning a long-term stay, taking out private cover can boost the quality of care you can access, and help you avoid the shortcomings of the public system.

What are the benefits of private health insurance in Peru?

Having private medical insurance in place in Peru means you can benefit from:

• Shorter waiting times: Limited resources and long waiting times can be avoided by going private and accessing specialist care whenever it’s needed.
• High-quality care: Private health facilities tend to have more comfortable surroundings, more dedicated care and a better understanding of English.
• Dental cover: Advanced dental treatments in Peru can get expensive if paid for out-of-pocket, but private cover can make sure your treatment bills don’t become unaffordable.¹²
• Prescription costs: The cost of prescriptions in Peru varies substantially from one medication to another.¹¹ So, if you need regular or specific medication, prescription cover can help you keep costs down.
• Evacuation and care abroad: Healthcare provision is limited in rural areas of Peru, but a private medical insurance policy can help cover the cost of transport, either in Peru or to a foreign country.
• Peace of mind: Having private cover gives you the reassurance that you’ll always be able to get the very best care available to you.

Would I need dental insurance in Peru?

Yes. Only basic dental treatments, such as check-ups, are covered by the public healthcare system in Peru, which means that for anything specialised or advanced, you’ll have to pay.¹² This can be done on an out-of-pocket basis, but this can get expensive, so having private medical cover that includes dentistry can protect you from costs building up.

Peru has different emergency numbers for different services. You should call 106 if you require an ambulance, 116 for the fire brigade, and either 105 or 911 for the police (both of those numbers put you through to the same police switchboard).¹³