When you need medical care in Portugal, you can rely on a public service with universal and free access. However, to take advantage of the private health care network, the best solution is to use health insurance. Most of these plans are not available to anyone over the age of 65, so it is important to select a health insurance policy which meets your needs.
Portugal: A country with two health systems
All residents in Portugal, regardless of age or nationality, can use the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde). It is a state-supported health care system with free and universal access. As of 2016, it constitutes 114 hospitals, 357 health centers, 26,000 doctors and 40,000 nurses.
There are also a number of private health services, access to which is paid for. The cost of using them may be quite high.
| Average price of some private health services | |
| Accident and emergency | €97 |
| Specialty consultations | €93 |
| 1 day hospital stay in a single room | €270 |
Note: Average prices of the 3 biggest private groups in Portugal in May 2018.
Taking out health insurance is the best way to use the 111 private hospitals that exist in Portugal without having to pay an exorbitant amount.
The two types of health insurance
The majority of health insurance plans give you access to an extensive network of hospitals, doctors and exam centers. The price of the consultations, examinations and treatments charged to an insured person are fixed at a fraction of the true cost of the medical procedure. If you wish, you can also use the services of a doctor not on the network. In these situations, the insured person will have to pay the full amount in advance. Afterwards, they can be refunded a part or the total of the value paid, through the presentation of the invoice and receipt.
Although rare, there are some health insurance companies in Portugal which only operate through refunds. They allow for the use of the services of any doctor or private clinical center, and the insured person just requests a refund afterwards.
The problem with age limits
When looking for health insurance you will soon notice that most of them restrict their plans to people under the age of 65 years. However, there are solutions for those who need health insurance and are in their 60s or 70s.
Health insurance, health plans and health cards
There are some health insurance plans on the market that allow people to continue to be covered after 65 up until the age of 80, or even without an upper age limit.
In recent years an alternative has emerged with several health cards giving discounts to their holders within an agreed network. The amount payable is pre-set and is much lower than the list price. They also come without any restrictions for subscription.
