Family doctor (private health insurance)
Portugal has a social public health system which entitles citizens and residents access to public health care. The health care system works well in emergencies, but for optional consultations I found it more complicated.
Public health family doctor
When I registed for a SNS number to access the public health system I was automatically assigned a family doctor. For me the doctor was around 1 hour away, and without a car it would be very hard to go there.
I tried to imagine what would happen if I was to wake up feeling very unwell and want to see a doctor. Would I need to take a bus / taxi for 30 min - 60 mins to go to the family doctor? This doesn't seem like it would be very comfortable and more likely I would just try to wait out the issue.
Private health insurance
In Portugal we also have access to the private health care system. I found this to be worth the cost. For each person it costs around 40 euros per month and you typically receive a good amount of coverage.
For a visit to the family doctor I need to pay about 15 euros and the insurance covers the rest of the visit. By using the private insurance, I found I had very little waiting times, and I could arrange appointments same day or next day.
How to see a family doctor with private insurance
Unlike in other countries I have lived in, I haven't been able to find a "private doctor practice" in the city I live in. But rather you need to go to a private hospital. For me this was unusual, as hospitals are for emergencies in my mind. But I visited two private hospitals in my city and both of them have "Medicina Geral e Familiar". So within the hopsital is basically a general doctor practice.
I figured this out after months of trying to understand what to do when I get sick in Portugal. The first time I visited the doctor through the private system I was pleasently surprised. I booked an appointment on a Sunday afternoon to see the doctor on Monday morning. The first time I needed to provide my details and private insurance information. I then received a number and within 5 minutes I was already talking to the doctor.
A big benefit of using the family doctor within the private hospital was that they have a lot of doctors and there was a good chance of being able to request one that speaks English.
Tests and exams
I have had a few tests and exams done and the private insurance covered most of the test costs, and I only needed to pay a part of the total costs.
For example:
| Exam | My cost | Insurance coverage paid |
|---|---|---|
| X-ray | 7.50 euros | 4.65 euros |
| CT Scan | 25.00 euros | 90.00 euros |
| MRI | 50.00 euros | 175.00 euros |
| Eye exam | 17.00 euros | 20.25 euros |
Private vs public health care
I haven't had the chance to use the public health system so it is hard to compare. In my opinion it is important to have both public and private if you can afford to pay the monthly costs of private health insurance. This is because the private insurance has limits, and if you are unfortuantely to have a serious health issue, the public system will be available. For the standard checkups and doctor visits, the private insurance brings quicker respond times and helps to reduce the pressure on the public system.