Has anyone thought about Brazil as a medical destination

@NewBrazil Not everything is cheaper in Brasil. Eyeglass lenses, for example, are many times more expensive here than in the USA. I haven't compared prices, but I shopped for hearing aids here and they are very expensive, too.

Heard the same thing here. Curious on what our medical plan will cost, but am sure it’s reasonable. Bought all our Apple electronic toys already in prep for our move in August. Set with eyewear as well.

Interested in medical? Amil platinum gets you covered in the best hospitals. Group rates discounted a lot I’m told.

lets get a group of us and bundle for great coverage at a good discount

im in 👍👍👍

21 July 2025

My investigation in dental implants in Recife resulted in estimates of around R$8000 per tooth in the private sector.  I am paying $8000 + dental insurance. 

I would be interested in how to access this service.

What is the quality of the service though?

My dentist here in Niteroi, who is first rate, quoted me R$2500 for an implant.

07/21/25 Interested in medical? Amil platinum gets you covered in the best hospitals. Group rates discounted a lot I’m told.
lets get a group of us and bundle for great coverage at a good discount

im in 👍👍👍 - @Will Hewitt

Amil isn't nationwide, and ran into serious financial problems a couple of years back -- in fact, I'm a little surprised to hear that they're still in business.  When we talked to them, which was some years back, they weren't accepting any new customers 60 or over; that will certainly exclude some retirees, if it's still their policy.  So their current financial condition, geographic scope of coverage, and membership conditions are good things to discuss in some detail with their representatives. 

07/21/25 Heard the same thing here. Curious on what our medical plan will cost, but am sure it’s reasonable. Bought all our Apple electronic toys already in prep for our move in August. Set with eyewear as well. - @56tbourne

With the contacts you've developed in Curitiba, you're well positioned to make an intelligent choice on a medical plan.  Quality from the same company varies widely by state and region, and a company that's straight-A in one part of the country can be D- in another, so ask the locals you trust and believe them. 

If you plan to do a lot of traveling, you'll also want to make sure that the plans you consider have a presence in the areas where you're most likely to be.  Some plans are limited to individual states, or even individual cities, and the very best plan in Curitiba won't do you much good if they don't go beyond the municipal limits, and you get sick in Rio de Janeiro.

@Pablo888 Can't help but saying my only daughter hit the jackpot with this industry, from an unhappy young adult living in a small room in my house in MD. to an executive making more than six figures with her own spacious luxury place. All because of this industry. She is the top American Executive of an Asian Dental Implant Prosthetics firm that uses AI and 3D Printers to create dental implants for Dentists.

Roddie in Retirement. 😎

@NewBrazil There is another reason why this exists. When I was in R.I. to take care of my 99-year-old father, i tried to get much needed dental work done. NO ONE took new patients. I am sure the quality was there but it was all out of reach. I HAD to wait until I went to Brazil (Ceara) to get it done. No Choice, although I would have preferred to go to the baggage check at Sao Paulo airport with a mouth that didn't look like a checkerboard. 😮

Roddie in Retirement. 😎

@Pablo888 Can't help but saying my only daughter hit the jackpot with this industry, from an unhappy young adult living in a small room in my house in MD. to an executive making more than six figures with her own spacious luxury place. All because of this industry. She is the top American Executive of an Asian Dental Implant Prosthetics firm that uses AI and 3D Printers to create dental implants for Dentists.
Roddie in Retirement. 😎 - @roddiesho

23 July 2025

@roddiesho, does your daughter has a recommendation for a dentist in Recife?  I also have another recommendation but I need to know how long I need to stay in Brazil for the procedure as this is not a 1 day thing....

Thank you.

@Will Hewitt

Just checked my rates in Brazil and for my wife and I we are paying about $700 for a medium plan.

Does this beat that?

@56tbourne

Depends on what city you live in my girlfriend has a medical plan for 40 Reals a month. You have to go to their clinic for example for doctor visits 60 Reals. When I looked at a local Doctor it was 350Reals. So look at the local program in your city.

07/25/25  Just checked my rates in Brazil and for my wife and I we are paying about $700 for a medium plan.Does this beat that? - @56tbourne

When you say "a medium plan", are you talking about foreign-based insurance, or a Brazilian plan?  And does that mean "medium" in price or in coverage?  If it's a foreign-based indemnity plan, it would probably be a good idea to look for a Brazilian private medical plan when you're settled.

Our plan is cheaper because of our age difference, but if my husband and I were the same age our plan would be running about  US$467/mo. for two people at today's exchange rate (Wise), and covers everything -- doctors, tests, surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, etc., no deductibles or copays.  Our company is strong in the Northeast and North and much less so in the Southeast and South, so while they have a presence in Paraná, they probably wouldn't be your best bet.  There are probably similar plans there, though; all the private plans are regulated by the same federal agency, ANS, Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar. 

Will be checking out more when we get down there. Unimed seems like the big player. Also have to read  the fine print. Regardless we anticipate it to be reasonable . I also believe there be a “cap” on some plans if retired.

I have a update about the cost for medical care here in Fortaleza Brazil. Just had 18 blood lab tests. With a battery of other test listed below. The total cost was 785.50 Reals but in Dollars $145.00 when you add a General Doctor visit 40 Reals and a Cardiologist visit 40 Reals = Total cost $160.00 Dollars hope this help

Complete blood count with platelet count or fractions (erythrogram, leukogram, platelets)

2. Glucose

3. Glycated Hemoglobin

4. SGOT - Oxaloacetic Transaminase

5. SGPT - Pyruvic Transaminase

6. Urea

7. Creatinine

8. Vitamin D

9. Vitamin B12

10. Sodium

11. Calcium

12. Potassium

13. Magnesium

14. Lipid Level

15.Uric Acid

16.Ultra Sensitive TSH

17.Free T4

18.Urine 1 Routine Urine

Conventional ECG of up to 12 leads

AmorSaúde Franchise Provider (own) - Medicine

Bilateral Color Doppler of Cervical Arteries (Carotid and Vertebral)

Chest X-ray

H3K Diagnostic Imaging LTDA

ABPM (24-hour) - Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring

24-hour Holter Monitor - 2 or more channels - Analog

Thanks for that NewBrazil.

I'm 18 days into recovery from a knee arthroplasty. It is my second. I'm already walking (limited) without a crutch. I love the medical service that I received here in João Pessoa.

My experience isn't really about Brazil as a medical destination because I live here - but one still could consider a knee replacement in a two month visit if it was planned well.

Within the last year a brother-in-law in Georgia did the same thing as I just did and paid about U$200 out of pocket (Medicare) but shared with me the bill that showed a total cost of U$87k. His prosthetetic is the same as mine (Johnson & Johnson Attune) he had similar hospital stay (2 nights). According to my doctor (sorry, no bills to confirm) the whole process here (hospital, surgeons, room, food) costs about BR$40k (or U$7400).

Out-of-pocket costs:

Our Unimed national plan costs us about U$515/month (both of us in our late 60s)

Pre-op consultations and exams:

Complete blood/urine $0

Cardio-exams including calcium cardiac exam (MRI), Ultrasound echocardiogram imaging, Holter $0

Imagery of the knee in incredible detail $0

An initial consultation with the ortho $0

A pre-op consultation with the ortho $0

(Note: I also am impressed with my cardiologist. She is overworked BUT highly detailed.)

A walker R$300

A "Canadian" crutch R$70

Required medications for after the surgey (quite a lot) R$1600

Materials for dressing/cleaning R$300

Updrade to my hospital room and care

Room R$500/night X 2

Additionally there is another upgrade fee for staff and such R$4000

Recovery space has been easy for me because I'm staying a a family apartment in the city where I did the surgery and the condo has a great gym (need a stationary bike and a treadmill.

While Unimed allows about 10 days of physiotherapy I opted to pay to have an in-home PT who has been with me the first 16 days, every day for about an hour and will now come every-other day for the next 1.5 weeks. Last year (I think) she cost me about R$2100 (and she was worth much more).

Roughly R$10000 out of pocket costs or U$1800 but if you were to add in all of those things that a visitor would have to pay (the out-of-pocket costs of not having a health plan +- U$7400, hotel (AirBnB from sep01-Nov01 is about U$1200), food, transportation (air and ground ???) . . . .  Maybe something like US$20000?

This is all a pretty loose estimate but a Portuguese speaking (or assisted) foreigner could probably de well to get certain medical work done here.

Some professional should put together health vacation packages for off-season (important consideration) healthcare.

mberigan

What about public health system? Is that not available? I must ask my friends what they pay but 400 plus dollars per month wow.

@Itoby955

Sorry, I was comparing Brazil to USA. Comparing Brazil to Portugal concerning this particular health situation, well I'm not the right person to provide that perspective. Many Brazilians rely entirely on public health and many find it deficient but many others find it provides well for them, From the little I've read it seems that the differences are regional - areas where services are limited and areas well covered. My observation in an interior region of Paraíba it that people feel well-served but realize that interior regions of the northeast has no healthcare of any type 25 years ago. Neighbors there (in one small municipality) now get there basic needs met in their small communities but need to go to better equiped communities for more advanced services.

I do know a person with a public health prosthetic knee and she's quite proud that it came about from public health because she's very aware that until only very recently health services were for a small portion of the population.

Brazil (when the administration is focused on the larger population) has kept trying to extend the network of basic care, in recent history the case of Mais Médicos. In those small communities, bringing in doctors made a huge positive difference for those residents.

When thinking/planning to live in Brazil, especially coming from a well served country like Portugal, you will want to check with locals in the area you plan to live to see how "healthy" public health is there.

As I wrote this I realized how little I know of SUS but I do suspect that the reasons I find private health services so good must have something to do with the constitutionally provided public services that keep getting better.

Mberigan

Thank for your response and details of your experience with the medical. My experience with Unimed was good but the cost to get it was more than expected. I am 75 and it was 4,500 a month for 2 people. I only had to pay out of pocket for a special surgery on one of my eyes that was a extra 2,500 Reals. Also like you to get a private room in the hospital had to pay extra. Still I think for certain things it may be worth coming to Brazil for Medical care.

08/25/25 As I wrote this I realized how little I know of SUS but I do suspect that the reasons I find private health services so good must have something to do with the constitutionally provided public services that keep getting better.
Mberigan

I think that's very true, especially in the regions more distant from the Southeast where many of us live. 

Also in these regions, the public and private systems often work in tandem.  A lot of the doctors who work in our health plan also work in SUS on different days.  I once had a minor surgery that my health plan doctor scheduled for a SUS clinic on one of his days there; the only real difference was that I had to bring my own bandages.  And when my husband's grandmother had her successful treatment for cancer, her care was coordinated by the doctor at our health plan, she had her radiation therapy at a private hospital that has a contract with the health plan, and her chemotherapy at SUS's central cancer hospital in Manaus.