# Portuguese Health Care System



## Yossarian

I am considering moving to Lisbon, Portugal, but I would like some first hand information about the overall quality of Portugal's health care system. Can anyone here share their experiences? How are the doctors? Availability and cost of private insurance and quality?

Thank you in advance.


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## OrkneytoPortugal

Yossarian said:


> I am considering moving to Lisbon, Portugal, but I would like some first hand information about the overall quality of Portugal's health care system. Can anyone here share their experiences? How are the doctors? Availability and cost of private insurance and quality?
> 
> Thank you in advance.


We have been living in central Portugal for the last 18 months, without health insurance - just using the local health centre. We registered with the health centre on arrival, and were assigned a doctor. I have had to use the service a few times for myself, husband and children, paying about €2.50 for a consultation - the same amount for an x-ray and ultrasound scan. But when I needed an MRI scan - advised by the doctor - I had to pay the €350 myself. 
The main problem I have encountered is a degree of racism in our local health centre, where the director expressly forbids his administrative staff to speak English - the policy being that we are all in Portugal, so we should speak Portuguese. Fair enough, one might say, except when I am facing a health crisis for myself or my child my linguistic capabilities seem to evaporate, and if somebody else's English is better than my Portuguese, it would seem only logical to speak the most easily understood language. 
The doctors themselves seem efficient, but as always, information is very difficult to come by. I have heard a rumour that soon everybody will need private health insurance, and that even emergency treatment will be charged for - I have no idea of the truth in this, and cannot verify or refute it. I would be very interested to know if anyone has more information.


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