Healthcare in Uruguay

We just had occasion to experience the public free healthcare when a US expat who had not joined a Mutualista needed emergency care.  It took several days with several different people helping him before they reluctantly agreed to admit him to hospital.  The hospital he was in was in very poor repair with decades of neglect visible including black mould on the ceiling of patients rooms. He said he liked the food though and the staff seemed efficient. Other public hospitals have stories of leaking ceilings and wards of 20 beds with one shared bathroom and staff shortages.

Once there they discovered he had in-operable cancer and after several weeks in hospital, discharged him saying there was not anything more they could do.
Once home he became unresponsive in less than a day and the police took him to a small emergency clinic - again free near his home. They refused to keep him overnight and requested we take him back home.To get him home, no ambulance service would come as he was not signed up with anyone so friends had to get him into the back of a car and he died before reaching home.

To me, it is crazy not to join a Mutualista. For around  $70.00 to 100 US a month you get good care in more modern hospitals, get cheap meds. if you need them and most services are free or have a low co-pay.  It is not an insurance system, you pay to belong to a healthcare service and there is no third party involved. The doctors do not seem to be rushed, they order any and all tests and treatments they feel are needed and seem genuinely interested in keeping you healthy. There are longer waits than you might like though, several months sometimes to see a specialist or to get a test performed but in an emergency you will get straight in.

They do have age limits on joining but these vary. The British Hospital is 60 years and others arre 65 but if you ask at different places you may get different answers. Up to 70 years should be possible but more difficult after that. Most Uruguayans are covered through their work and this covers the whole family. If you own farmland of over a few hectares, then you can pay BPS  which is a form of tax and this gives you free health coverage with a Mutualista. There isn't an age limit on this I don't think.

There are also completely private services and some folk even go over to Buenos Aires and pay privately. We discovered for about $100 US a year our Mutualista has out of country coverage and it also offers funeral coverage.

A couple of the popular ones are Medica Uruguaya and Asociacion Espanola. Both have websites giving more information.