Healthcare in Costa Rica for retirees
Healthcare in Costa Rica for residents starts with the CCSS, the public fund every resident must join, alongside JCI-accredited private hospitals in San José and Escazú.
The hospitals retirees use, what insurance does and does not cover. Checked against official and hospital sources on Oct 8, 2026.
- Life expectancy
- 81 years US 78.9. World Bank, 2024
- Doctors
- 2.7 per 1,000 US 3.7. World Bank, 2022
- Health spending
- $1,163/person Per year; US $13,473. World Bank, 2023
- Paid out of pocket
- 24.1% Of all health spending; US 10.9%. World Bank, 2023
Hospitals retirees use in Costa Rica
Escazú
Hospital CIMA San José
- Joint Commission International Gold Seal, accredited six times in a row
- Emergency care 24 hours a day
Hospital CIMA. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
San José
Hospital Clínica Bíblica
- Joint Commission International accredited
- Private hospital with more than 95 years of history
- Emergency care 24 hours a day; other sites in Santa Ana, Curridabat and Liberia
Hospital Clínica Bíblica. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
San José
Hospital Metropolitano
- Other sites in Lindora (Santa Ana), Escazú, Liberia, Huacas (Guanacaste) and Quepos
Hospital Metropolitano. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
Foreign residents must be insured with the CCSS (the Caja), Costa Rica's public social security fund. Migración checks your CCSS enrolment before it issues your first residence card, and to renew, temporary and permanent residents must show CCSS insurance held without a break since residence was granted.
Paying for care in Costa Rica
24.1% of health spending in Costa Rica is paid directly by patients, about 2 times the US share, so plan how you will pay before you move.
Retirees use either an international health plan, which can also cover care at home and in other countries, or a local plan from an insurer in Costa Rica, which costs less but covers care there only. Prices depend on age and on the insurer's terms for existing conditions; compare written quotes.
If you are on Medicare
Medicare usually does not pay for care outside the United States; the exceptions are narrow, such as a foreign hospital closer to your US home than the nearest US hospital.
Medicare.gov. Checked Oct 7, 2026.
Healthcare questions
Does Medicare cover me in Costa Rica?
Medicare usually does not pay for care outside the United States; the exceptions are narrow, such as a foreign hospital closer to your US home than the nearest US hospital. Plan on private insurance or paying directly for care in Costa Rica.
Do I need health insurance for the Pensionado visa?
Yes, public cover: you must be enrolled with the CCSS before you receive your residence card and keep that insurance without a break to renew. The Pensionado rules ask for no private health policy.
How much of the bill do people pay themselves?
In Costa Rica, 24.1% of all health spending is paid out of pocket, against 10.9% in the US (World Bank, 2023).
Do I have to join the Caja (CCSS) as a resident of Costa Rica?
Yes. Migración checks your CCSS enrolment before it issues your residence card, and you must keep CCSS insurance without a break to renew your residence.
Is there good private hospital care in Costa Rica?
Hospital CIMA in Escazú holds the Joint Commission International Gold Seal, accredited six times in a row, and Hospital Clínica Bíblica in San José is also JCI accredited. Both run 24-hour emergency care.
Do I need private health insurance for the Costa Rica pensionado visa?
No private policy is required for the Pensionado. The cover the rules require is enrolment in the CCSS, the public social security fund.
How much does Costa Rica spend on healthcare?
About $1,163 a person a year, against $13,473 in the US, with out-of-pocket payments at about 24% of health spending.
