One of the questions I get asked about a lot about moving and living here is the healthcare. There is a good public health care system in Portugal which expats get access to with their residency visa, however we are also still required to carry private insurance. There are a few different companies to choose from and we chose the one that was best for us. We also have the same insurance company for the pets insurance and the car. It makes it easier to just access them all together. 

I have been to the doctor a couple times for different things but I thought I would write about what I am currently getting treated for. A few months ago I started to notice some shoulder pain. I tried to ignore it but it kept getting worse. I was lifting weights and it was becoming painful to do a lot of stuff in the gym. I went to visit the doctor at the private clinic. Even though I have access to the public system, it is a lot easier to get an appointment at the private clinic. My copay is only €16 per visit so it’s worth it. 

I have visited this doctor before and he’s great. He speaks perfect English and is always very helpful. I told him about my shoulder pain and he examined it. He sent me for an ultrasound to check if anything was torn or anything. I went for the ultrasound about a month later but that was my fault because I kept procrastinating on booking the appointment. Once I finally scheduled it, they took me a couple days later. The ultrasound cost me €55 but I am going to submit it to my insurance for reimbursement. 

I got the results about a week later and scheduled a follow up with my doctor to go over them. There was nothing seriously wrong, thankfully. He prescribed physiotherapy for it. He gave me 2 prescriptions for 10 visits each and left it up to me to decide if I would need the full 20. He also gave me a couple prescriptions for the pain. 

I scheduled my physiotherapy for the next week to start my first 10 appointments. All 10 were scheduled right away and she accommodated my schedule. The visits are €220 if you pay for the group of 10. Or you can do 1 at a time for a higher price. I did the 10 and I will submit it to my insurance for reimbursement. 

I just finished the 10th appointment and my shoulder pain has decreased a lot and my range of motion has gotten better. I am going to do the other 10 as well so that it can get completely better. 

My medications were about €15 I believe for 2 different medications. 

All-in-all it has been a really easy process. There aren’t long wait times for appointments. There aren’t insane fees or trying to find a doctor in network. From what I have seen so far, the healthcare system is way better than it is in the states. My private insurance has great coverage and I pay less every month than I did for my insurance I received through my employer in Las Vegas. We pay about €50 a month for both of us here, in Vegas I paid $19 a paycheck for just me. And with that one, most of my stuff wasn’t covered and I had a high deductible. There isn’t a deductible here, just a waiting period for some stuff. I will have paid about €522 out of pocket but I will get reimbursed for a big chunk of that. (I don’t remember the percentage of what I get reimbursed, I’ll update this after I get it back.)  

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