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Health care and health insurance costs continue to rise in the United States. For retirees living on a fixed income, affording healthcare and health insurance has become increasingly complex. Many factors contribute to health insurance premiums, including state and federal laws regulating costs, where you live, whether you get insurance through your employer, and the type of plan you choose.
My healthy 43-year-old daughter, who lives in Texas, just received a notice that her $500-a-month insurance with a $7,000 deductible will increase to $725 in 2026. That’s just insane!
If you’re a United States citizen over 65, you probably have Medicare. However, Medicare doesn’t cover 100% of healthcare costs in the United States, and out-of-pocket expenses keep rising.
If you have the right Medicare Advantage Plan, it DOES cover you in Panama for emergencies! Now, several hospitals in Panama accept your Medicare Advantage without requiring you to prepay or file a claim. You only need to show your insurance card.
SO, WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?
Many Americans are relocating to Panama to significantly reduce their living expenses, including lower healthcare and health insurance costs.
In Panama, healthcare expenses are based on the local cost of living, which is significantly lower than in the United States or Canada. For these reasons, Panama’s healthcare and health insurance costs are a small fraction of what they would cost in North America. Despite the lower costs, the quality of care is high. A routine doctor visit at their private office is only $15-$20, with no appointment necessary. Alternatively, you can visit the public hospital for just $2 to see a doctor.
Panama has a two-tier healthcare system. There are public hospitals and private (for-profit) hospitals.
NO MONTHLY FEE – PAY AS YOU GO – PUBLIC HOSPITALS
You can utilize the public healthcare system when you relocate to Panama. There is no monthly fee, no age restriction, and no restrictions for pre-existing conditions. You’ll pay about $2 to see a doctor or $5 to see a specialist.
A few months ago, a lady on a Panama Relocation Tour had emergency surgery at a public hospital in Chitre. She stayed in the hospital for six days, and the total cost was $150.
Many expats in Panama choose the public healthcare system instead of buying health insurance.
A neighbor was hospitalized at the public hospital in David after having a heart attack. After 10 days at the public hospital, his total cost was less than $900, including MRIs, CAT scans, medications, and consultations with the best cardiologists in Chiriqui Province.
Another young boy broke his jaw in three places after a fall and needed specialized surgery. The surgery, a week in the hospital, and all the pre- and post-surgery tests were only $350! See the video here to learn more details.
With these prices, you can see why many expats use the public health care system.
HEALTH INSURANCE OPTIONS
You can get health insurance that only covers you in Panama, or international health insurance that covers you in Panama or any other country.
Panamanian insurance companies require a COVID-19 vaccine card or a vaccine exemption letter from your doctor to approve your health insurance in Panama.
Because health insurance is so affordable in Panama, I think it is wise to get it when you can. With a higher deductible, you can reduce your monthly or annual premium. Health insurance prices will depend on your age.
You have several health insurance options. We recommend honest insurance brokers in the Online Complete Panama Relocation Guide.
PANAMA ONLY INSURANCE
Some insurance companies in Panama, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, do not accept new clients over 65. The two most popular insurance companies in Panama are Mapfre and Family Medical Plan.
MAPFRE offers Panama-only insurance or international health insurance. Mapfre boasts the country’s best network of doctors and hospitals. You’ll be covered for preventive medicine, 100% of emergency care, hospitalization, consultations, and maternity care, with accessible copays, as well as laboratories and X-rays. You can select a higher deductible to keep your monthly premium low. Their website is only in Spanish, but if you email or call, an English-speaking representative will contact you. A 59-year-old friend has Mapfre. She chose a $ 5,000 deductible, so her monthly premium is only $69.
FAMILY MEDICAL is one of the few insurance companies that cover pre-existing conditions (at 50%) after you’ve had insurance with them for two years. They cover 70% of most non-emergency medical costs and 100% of emergency costs. If you are over 50, they will require an EKG and lab work to get insurance. FAMILY MEDICAL currently insures people under 79. See their 2025 BROCHURE in English. More hospitals were added in 2025. Family Medical offers family discounts. Their costs are very reasonable, as you can see below:
30-39 – $51.98 per month
40-49 – $71.18 per month
50-59 – $94.30 per month
60-69 – $117.30 per month
70-79 – $146.25 per month
If you have more than three pre-existing conditions, they will not write a new policy.
IMPORTANT! Most Panama and international health insurance companies will not insure you if you have pre-existing conditions. Family Medical Plan “may” insure you even if you have pre-existing conditions, but they will exclude those conditions for 2 years and then cover them at 50% after that.
One international health insurance company will insure you even if you have pre-existing conditions, as long as they are managed! You’re covered in Panama or in any other country! See details in the Online Panama Relocation Guide. See details below in the International Insurance section.
If you are older than 60, most insurance companies will require a physical, EKG, and lab work before agreeing to insure you.
Most insurance does not cover medication costs. Some medications are less expensive in Panama, while others are more expensive. Some medicines are not available in Panama. It would be helpful to determine the cost and availability of medications in Panama before deciding to move there.
You can even buy cancer insurance for as little as $63 a year! This insurance is only available to individuals who have never had a history of cancer.
PANAMA CITY HEALTH INSURANCE
If you move to Panama City, you’ll have access to health insurance through several different hospitals. The Santa Fe Hospital senior health insurance plan has no age restriction!! Santa Fe Hospital is also more lenient about accepting new clients with pre-existing conditions. These are their prices for health insurance:
60-69 143.74
70-79 175.58
80-89 198.62
90 or more 231.60
*The premiums include the 15% retiree discount
LEARN MORE HERE (this webpage is only in Spanish, so you may need to open it in Chrome or another platform to translate it into English)
If you have Santa Fe Hospital insurance, you will receive a 25% discount on all medications.
NOTE: You can use Santa Fe Insurance only at Santa Fe Hospital in Panama City.
MiniMed offers an Expat Health Membership for only $22 per month or $243 a year, with a discount for your spouse. They have 14 clinics and a hospital in Panama City.
You can add your spouse or dependent for $11/month and $121/year.
MiniMed has NO exclusion for pre-existing conditions or age.
See a BROCHURE and more details HERE.
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE
International insurance covers you in Panama or any other country.
Mercantil International Insurance is available to those under 75 years old. They are more lenient about preexisting conditions like cancer, high blood pressure or Type 2 diabetes. However, they do have weight restrictions: your BMI must be less than 34. Mercantil insurance is accepted at most private hospitals in Panama.
See a BROCHURE HERE.
These are sample prices for Mercantil International Insurance:
58-year-old
Another option is WorldWide Medical Insurance.
I got Worldwide Medical international health insurance through United Healthcare when I moved to Panama. At 64, I pay $2500 a year with a $500 deductible, and then I’m covered 100% up to $4,000,000 per year. International health insurance means I’m covered at any hospital or doctor in Panama or other countries. When you are 65+, the cost of international health insurance increases substantially, with premiums exceeding $4,500. See the Worldwide Medical brochure in English here.
International health insurance plans like Cigna, or Bupa are more expensive.
THERE IS A SOLUTION!
I found an international travel health insurance solution for about $1400 a year, a fraction of the cost! It covers people up to age 80, including those with pre-existing conditions. No insurance broker in Panama offers it. You can see details in the Online Complete Panama Relocation Guide.
Before moving to Panama, I tripped on a blanket and fell down the stairs at my house in Dallas. I damaged my eyes and had to have two eye surgeries in Texas. I thought my eyes would be excluded from my insurance in Panama, but they were not. Since moving to Panama, I have had several more eye surgeries, including a lens replacement. My international health insurance covered 100% of the cost of both surgeries in Panama.
I can honestly say the quality of care I received in Panama was far superior to that in the United States.
Although I have no plans to return to the United States, I enrolled in Medicare Advantage when I turned 65. If I had not received it by the time I turned 65, there would be a substantial penalty for getting it later.
Medicare Advantage covers emergencies in Panama, and four private hospitals offer direct billing, so I have no out-of-pocket expenses.
All international health insurance companies require you to be living overseas. They will have rules about how long you can return to your home country – usually three to six months maximum. Therefore, you cannot purchase insurance in Panama at a significantly lower price and then relocate to the United States to live there full-time.
In the Online Panama Relocation Guide, we recommend honest insurance brokers.
SAVE MORE!
Other healthcare savings are available in Panama. It costs about $50 to get your teeth cleaned, and a dental implant costs $1000. A friend had an upper and lower eyelid lift in Panama City for only $2000.
You can order lab work at any lab without a doctor’s prescription. I recently paid $42 for a complete lab workup, which reflected a 25% Pensionado discount.
This special Pensionado discount applies to doctor visits, hospital stays, and prescription drugs. The Pensionado discount is for Panamanians, foreigners with a Pensionado Visa, expat women over 55, or expat men over 60 with a residency Visa.
Many Americans are moving to Panama for more affordable healthcare and health insurance.
Many people in the U.S. are discovering that affordable health care and health insurance options are available when they relocate to Panama.
Some doctors in Panama were educated in the United States, and some were board-certified. You can find any specialist in Panama that you’d find in the US, too. Many Panamanian doctors speak English.
Panamanian doctors put the CARE back into healthcare! They will spend as much time as necessary with you to understand your health problem and carefully explain the situation and their proposed solution.
QUALITY HOSPITALS TOO
Panama has quality hospitals.
Hospital Paitilla is affiliated with the prestigious Cleveland Clinic.
San Fernando Hospital is affiliated with the well-known Tulane University Health Services Center and Hospital Clinic, Baptist Health International of Miami, and the Miami Children’s Hospital.
Hospital National is run by the American Hospital Management Company, which is affiliated with the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the Kendall Medical Center in Florida.
The Panama Clinic: It stands out as the first and only hospital in Panama to achieve dual international TEMOS accreditations for Excellence in Medical Tourism and Quality in Medical Care.
Hospitals, medical centers, pharmacies, dental clinics, and labs are readily available in cities throughout Panama.
Prices for prescription drugs in Panama can also be very low. They are priced for the local market. Unless you are buying an antibiotic or a narcotic, you will not need a prescription, so you can save money on unnecessary doctor visits. CLICK HERE to get a free report of the top 50 prescriptions in the US and what they cost in Panama.
Como No? This is a popular phrase in Panama. It means WHY NOT.
With more affordable health care, health insurance, and the lower cost of living in Panama, COMO NO relocate to Panama?
It’s worth checking out Panama to see how you can reduce your health care and health insurance costs. Plus, you’ll discover how you can LIVE BETTER for LESS.
Our Online Panama Relocation Guide contains the same information as our 7-night Panama Relocation Tour. You’ll get detailed information on various health insurance companies, including direct contact information. You’ll learn about Visa options, finding a rental, where to get affordable health insurance, how to bring your pets to Panama, and much more! The Online Panama Relocation Guide has information to help you do a self-guided tour of Panama, plus contacts if you’re interested in a private tour guide.
Or, if you’d prefer to explore Panama with like-minded people, consider a 6-day, 7-night all-inclusive Panama Relocation Tour!
Since 2010, we’ve helped thousands of people relocate to Panama seamlessly.
We’re the Panama Relocation Experts!
We have the experience you can trust!
