Ecuadorian Healthcare

Ecuador is one of the 'developing countries' like Cuba, Pakistan, or Mexico that, for the present moment, can boast of having a universal healthcare system. Building it was one of the finest achievements of Ecuador's early progressive movement which was then significantly expanded by the progressive government at the beginning of the 21st century. Although there is also a robust private medical sector in the country with excellent facilities staffed with well trained medical personnel, this care is out of reach for the majority of Ecuadorians.

Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social, or IESS, is the social security system that individual Ecuadorians can elect to pay into and should be underwritten by employers. This insurance will cover medical costs according to a pre-determined price schedule of treatments. Government hospitals provide emergency, inpatient and outpatient care, surgery, lab work, obstetrics, diagnostic tests, and other services typically found in large medical institutions. For those who are uninsured, there are smaller free medical clinics for urgent care, vaccinations, infant check-ups, and referrals to larger government hospitals.

Those who have the means for private medical treatment can avail themselves of care in large private hospitals and smaller private clinics. If there is a procedure not available in a local government hospital, then patients will be referred to private care with the costs covered by IESS insurance. This is a rough outline of medical care in Ecuador in 2023, however, there are centrist and right political voices that would like to see the government's medical infrastructure privatized.

If you would like to learn more about the current situation and participate in discussions on this topic then we encourage you to join our Facebook group: Ecuador Progressive Community for English Speakers and Expats.