I can never thank you enough for arranging this interview. I have been racking my brain trying to better understand the health care systems here. ❤️ The fog is now beginning to clear at last. 🙏

Thank you for this excellent video.

Very helpful video, thank you!

Very good information from Michael -the more I listen him speak in different platforms the better I feel that I will be able to make a good decision when I start my visa process. Thank you

Brilliant explaination.

What health care do I need . I am 73 yrs expats

Does Serenity cover for pre existing conditions please? Thank youuu

Amazing video guys, and amazing interviewee! Congratulations to both!

Very interesting. I have D7 visa. I need to apply for Europe’s health insurance. Please advise

Really helpful, thank you!

Excelent Video!!!!

This was sooo informative. Thank you Josh and Michael with Serenity.

Beautiful video I love this that this guy explains all this insurance stuff. Thank you my friend helps a lot

Make some videos on home renovations if any

GP's don't work at hospitals, they work at health centers, that are plentiful in portugal, if you don't have an assigned GP you can go to Health Center and just describe your problem and you will be scheduled an appointment to an GP, another thing that works normally very good is Child emergency, i live in central Portugal and just had 2 ambulances(INEM and Bombeiros) at home because my kid had cof and is fingertips where blueish coloration, turns out he had H1N1, we all got it afterwards, but just chose not to go bother hospitals with it. Hospitals are not the only place where you can get public health, and in some cases they will come to your house.

Great info- really was good

The juggling does get to be second nature; my youngest had some lung issues and "of course" we called for an ambulence to go to a public hospital – and "of course" he now goes for regular check ups at a private one. We pay the appointment (like 30 euros for 15m, its nothing serious now) and "of course" we dont pay for his regular medicine. Its simpleeee of course being born here helps with the understanding

There are several inaccuracies in this vídeo. Specially the part regarding the GP. You can get an appointment with a Doctor on your local health center but it can be a different one the second time you go. You will not be "left alone". General rule: If you need something like a dermatologist etc it will be must faster scheduling an appointment in the private sector. Something serious or urgent public sector.

É quase tudo verdade, mas um dermatologista que não fale uma palavra de inglês nem sequer é um exagero, é mentir com todos os dentes para melhor vender o seu peixe.

Great interview. Very thorough and easy to understand.

Wow… just wow. This might be the most valuable video to watch if you’re planning on relocating to Portugal! Thanks Josh for sharing… I’m sure I’ll watch this with my wife 2 more times. Great content! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you for this video. This topic is important and surprised that no one has covered it, especially for people who want to retire in Portugal.

So, we are currently navigating the healthcare system now…I am surprised your guest did not mention centre de saude because I've been there twice and it has been great! You can see a doctor in an emergency case and make an appointment if not an emergency. I've also been to the ER 3 times and besides the wait time the care was exceptional!! My partner has a pre-existing condition and by way of the public system has an excellent neurologist, FREE 700+€/month medication and several appointments with specialists and tests no problem! It has not been easy, but I never had it 'easy' in the US with healthcare, but always had great healthcare due to research and shopping around. I lived in France for 14 years and I think the systems are similar, but if you need care you will get it and it's great!! I may consider incorporating a private plan for my basic regular needs, but only after going to my new local centre de saude…We shall see!

As a senior citizen (70) moving to Portugal in early 2023 would you recommend contacting Serenity once we've arrived to help us set up our private insurance? Is that a service they provide? BTW Expats Everywhere has been an invaluable source of information and inspiration for us as we've planned our move. Thank you!

Very informative, especially regarding age and pre existing conditions! Thank you

To be fair, not having a GP doesn’t mean being “left alone”, this is absolutely incorrect. I am a Portuguese citizen and don’t have a GP (I moved back to Portugal 5 years ago) and I still get and attend appointments with specialist doctors when I need. Time is an issue (depending on area of residence) but never “left alone”!

This video is absolutely amazing. The information is incredibly useful and the production quality is documentary film quality. Thank you for the content.

Thanks!

Invaluable information! This video by Josh and Kalie’s video (noted at the end) are both FUNDAMENTAL sources of information for those seeking to better understand healthcare in PT. Great information! Thank you. 🙏🏻

A fantastic interview, my husband is 66 and I'm 71 so we will be very careful looking at Private Insurance and Plans (now I understand the difference} thank you so much.

Great one, Josh!! Thanks from us the foreigners here on Madeira!

But can you book directly with a specialist? Or do you need a referral from a GP… that you might not even have?

You would have gotten more accurate information from a Portuguese senior doctor. Not from someone that classifies an issue as a healthcare worker not speaking a word of English in his own country (min 9:03).

Suppose you are in Portugal, the USA, the UK or wherever healthcare staff should be able to communicate in their language. If you don't speak the lingo, the issue should be with the foreign visitor for not speaking the language of the country they are trying to get access to help. When I travel abroad, and if I need to request healthcare from the country I visit, I'm not expecting everyone to speak my language. The issue is with me, not with them if I don't speak their language. (They are in their own country). I'm baffled by the way this gentleman portrayed the Portuguese health system. He starts by saying that as long as you buy coffee or groceries, you can access the healthcare system for free because you pay the tax that way. Are you serious??? Do you go to any country (the USA, etc..), buy some food, and you're allowed free healthcare?

He gives an idea of the system with a questionable view and lack of appreciation. I suggest you widen your research to get a more accurate picture of the all system. And please do not blame them for not speaking other languages. Learn Portuguese because you are in Portugal, or seek alternatives besides expecting them to speak whatever language you speak.

Let common sense prevails. I love your content, ex-pats.

Super helpful video thanks for putting this together.

Some of the information about primary care is a bit misleading. There are indeed problems with a lack of doctors in some places around the country which can delay access to a doctor, or not being assigned a GP, and the system for appointments is not as organised as it should be. However, not having an assigned GP does not mean you are out of luck, you are still assigned to a public "clinic" (centro de saúde), where you can go and be seen by a doctor, the difference is that (in a very simplistic description) there are fewer slots available for an appointment for people without a GP. As for people with chronic diseases, like diabetes, those have special access and priority for appointments and regular checkups, there are even special programs for screening and house visits with doctors or nurses; it’s not perfect but hardly the image that was conveyed.
Also, about secondary care, the national health system (SNS) is organised as a mix of private and public services… your GP can send you to see a specialist, and in some situations you can choose to go to private service with the national health system paying most of the bill. Private and public are complementary, it has been like that for decades, though nowadays we are seeing more private practices with no agreement with the national health system.

Very helpful!

This was super helpful. Especially learning that the insurance companies drop you as you get older (mid 60s). Given that one will end up without private insurance as they age, what I found most helpful is understanding what knee replacement would cost (20,000- 25,000 euros) if one had to pay for it. I know I'm about 10 years away from that surgery and will magically have aged out of insurance by then. Anyway, it would be really informative to learn some rough estimates of what some other procedures would cost if one had to pay for them out of pocket. If people, for whatever reason, cannot access the public system having an understanding of cost is helpful.