Pilou

When you just have a Continente card that you use for shopping, you can use the same card at HPA Alvor for example. A big advantage. The bill for the doctor was 72 EUR normally but I paid 41 EUR showing the Continente card PLUS 15% credited into my card. So net I paid 35 EUR instead of 72 EUR without any private insurance!

domino65

Good point Pilou but Continente card is not a health insurance but rather, as they describe themselves “a discounted service linked into its own network of medical practioners offering discounted prices on fees or services”.
It is not the same service and, of course, not the same price as the Continente card is free and health insurance like Multicare will cost you 100-120€ per person per month. Check "Multicare Proteçao Vital" if you want to learn more about it.
I have no relation with the company, it is a friend of mine who talked to me about it, so I wanted to know if anybody else here was a client.
If you are young and healthy (or old and adventurous !), Continente card might be sufficient but at my age, 53, anything can happen anytime and I wouldn’t want to wait a few months to get a specialist appointment or a surgery. That’s when a private heath care insurance can be useful. Just my thoughts.

Pilou

We are still in doubt wether we take Medal insurance (through Afpop) or no insurance and have a discounted price with the Continente card.
We are in good health and it is difficult to spend 1800 EUR per year pp if you don't use it. We go to the centro saude to ask for a blood check once a year. All perfect at only a couple of euros.

The thing is that I don't know how good the doctors are in private clinics. Some people think that in private clinics all doctors are better than in the public health care. I know that this is not the case. A lot of private clinics pay less to doctors than in public hospitals.

If I would need a very difficult heart operation I think I want to go to a public hospital. They will send you to a big hospital with a lot of know-how. I would not like to have a major heart surgery in HPA Alvor.

Some people go regularly to a doctor to be reassured. That is not my case. So therefor I am really in doubt. The minor things, I would pay these out of my pocket. When I don't have any medical problems and I have an insurance, within 3 years I have paid 5,500 EUR on insurance payments.

When you have cancer you are better off with public health. In a private clinic you will have a nice private room, they will take care of you, the food is good. But that is not what is the most important when your life is at stake.

It is good to discus this here and maybe I will change my mind. Still unsure!

For the moment I would prefer to go occasionally to a private doctor using my Continente card.

domino65

Pilou, your answer makes absolutely sense.
Being your own insurer seems to be a wise decision.
I still live in Switzerland where there is no social security and healthcare is a business like another.
This leads to a lot of useless examinations, surgeries, … and therefore to crazy overall healthcare costs and contributions for the people.

Pilou

Domino65, useless examinations .... that is what I am afraid of. They want to make money and they will suggest this exam and that exam. I want to enjoy life as much as possible and I don't want to spend my time in hospitals to help them with their business.
In France doctors have often less salary as in public hospitals. The nurses in private hospitals are paid less than in public hospitals too.

Ukkram

We dumped our Allianz Medical Insurance after we found how great the state hospitals are. Top notch equipment at both IPO Porto hospital and the one here in Viana. The equipment at our Hospital Particular was far outdated.

Pilou

I also read that the SNS wants to "incorporate" part of the private health care. They do this already when you want to have a blood check. I could chose out of several private laboratories that work together with the SNS.
The same fot fysiotherapy. You will only pay a part and the rest is paid by the SNS.

In the government discussions are going on about how to improve public health care and what will be the role of private clinics in that. Very interested in the outcome.

Ukkram

I must add that during our time of medical stress due to my wife's illness we saw many specialists at the Hospital Particular such as the ENT, Neurologist and now a Ophthalmologists. We then left our medical aid to go for state medical at the public hospital.
Lo and behold. All these specialists had offices there too.

Waiting time for non emergencies at the private hospital was about a week or two at the most to see a specialist and about a month at the public hospital. Not bad at all.

Pilou

My hubby asked the SNS for fisiotherapy. The doctor at centro saude agreed on 15 x. He saw a fisiotherapy clinic and asked if they work together with SNS. Answer: YES.
Every session is 1 hour of massage, ultra son and heat. He will pay 5 EUR for 1 hour and the SNS the rest. Wonderful!!

I mention this so that people can read the possibilities one has within the SNS.

Ukkram

This makes me wonder how many expats had private medical in the UK and now think they would have to have it here. I doubt if any had private medical insurance in the UK.
The waiting time in the UK to see a specialist is so much longer there than in PT.

liveaboard

It depends what part of PT.
If you go to Portimao or Faro public hospitals, you can wait for a long, long time. Weeks, months, years.
These hospitals are extremely over burdened, understaffed, and under funded.
It was reported that some people died waiting.

OH's immunology specialist used to work at the public hospital as well, but he stopped; not enough resources or time available there to do any good he said.