Health & Protection in Paraguay

Moving to a different country can give anyone a mixture of various emotions such as excitement for a better future and fear of stepping out of your comfort zone. It is normal for you to feel these and that is why you spend a whole lot of time preparing for your big move. You take care of the place that you’ll call ‘a new home’, find ways on how to get around the city and extend your hand to the new community to make sure that you’ll fit in. But as you slowly progress through the transition process, you also need to avoid being too comfortable with the new environment to the point that your health care or protection will be taken for granted. For it is your personal finance matter: New residence in Paraguay means new insurance needs.

Getting Insurance

If you are offered an assignment to Paraguay, you should negotiate well your relocation package to Paraguay to fully take into account your protection levels and the grographical coverage: will you be covered for treatments back home if needed? If you haven’t discussed this with your employer or have some questions regarding your policy, it's best that you talk to the Human Resource department of your office to get some clarifications. Also, all insurance brokers in the country are under the supervision of the Central Bank of Paraguay which regulates their operations, so make sure that your employer is licensed by the CBP.

If you want to have health care aside from the coverage from your company, you can also consider getting one from the international and local insurance providers in Paraguay. It's best to call several of them before deciding so that you’ll have more knowledge about their different policies and which can best suit your needs. There is the AXA Global Healthcare, a name known worldwide for providing various types of coverage for expats in Paraguay. You can also check a local company called Aseguradora Paraguaya S.A that offers life, health, auto and financial insurance.

Importance of Insurance

There are few known health risks in Paraguay, but you still need to be careful. Drinking tap water is not advisable especially for expats who are still adjusting to the new environment and it is recommended that you always carry bottled water to avoid dehydration or heat exhaustion. Some of the places that you should be aware of are Ciudad del Este, Asuncion and the Chaco environment because of their known hostility. If you are going to these areas, make sure that you are accompanied by a guide and avoid walking alone especially at night.

Most people often think that health insurance is only used to cover hospitalisations, confinements, operations and other serious treatments or accidents. It is true that prevention is better than cure, and your medical coverage can do many wonders such save you a lot of money that are usually spent when paying with cash or shoulder the fees for regular check ups, physical exams and even daily vitamins that can help boost your immune system.

Local Insurance in Paraguay

Taxation is the primary source of funds for the universal health care system in Paraguay which provides medical assistance to both locals and expats who are either an outpatient or in need of an emergency service. Also, under the social insurance system, all permanent residents in the country are entitled to receive Disability Benefits and Work Injury Benefits, Worker’s Medical Benefits as well as sickness and maternity benefits. In Paraguay, private hospitals are better options compared to the public facilities, where you will find a huge number of expats going to the hospitals in Asuncion, Encarnacion and Ciudad del Este. In an emergency situation, you can dial 911 for Medical and Police response or 131 to get hold of the local fire department.

Paraguay has different types of assistance from the public health care system and other local insurance providers. But as an expat, its best that you consider an international company since they have different types of policies designed for foreigners living or working abroad. You can also rest assure that wherever you are; you will have a team of professionals who are looking after you in the time of utmost need.