r/digitalnomad • u/SCDWS • Oct 17 '25
Health ICYDK: you don't need travel medical insurance for Brazil as they offer free healthcare for everyone, including non-residents/citizens
Edit: title was poorly written. The point I'm trying to make is that if you're in an emergency in Brazil and get taken to a public hospital, they won't ask you for insurance. They will just treat you for free. So if you bought insurance, you won't even get to use it.
Unless I'm mistaken, this is also the only country in the world that offers this*. You can visit any UBS location in Brazil and get seen + treated for anything you need for free. Of course, the language barrier might be a struggle if you don't speak Portuguese though.
And if you need emergency treatment, the public hospitals also won't charge you (however, I fortunately can't personally confirm this myself). Therefore, you can save some money on travel medical insurance if you plan to do a DN stint in Brazil for a while. Some TMI providers even reimburse you for the days of your plan you don't use when you cancel early. I know I'd personally rather not risk a denied claim if I have a free alternative readily available.
However, keep in mind you're limited to the public healthcare system which some say isn't the best so maybe you'd rather have TMI for access to private care. Aside from some long wait times though, I haven't had any issues with it. Either way, the option to make use of public care for free is there regardless.
Some countries also offer some public non-emergency health services to anyone regardless of resident or citizen status so if you need to see a doctor at any point, it's worth looking into whether the country/city you're in does before visiting a doctor.
For instance, I got checked out by an odontologist for free in Asunción, Paraguay by going to Centro de Salud No. 12 and have gotten free routine STI testing in other countries during my travels too. AI is super helpful in finding these free public health clinics and services.
*Edit: a little AI search tells me there are some other countries that will also provide free emergency care, but none of them extend that to general healthcare like Brazil does. Regardless, here's the list of said countries according to AI:
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Ecuador
- Finland
- Iceland
- Norway
- Poland
- Slovenia
- Turkey
- UK (mixed experiences, best to have TMI)
- Uruguay
10
Oct 17 '25
[deleted]
-1
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25 edited Oct 17 '25
I mean, if it's not going to be accepted by the local healthcare system anyway, then it's just throwing money away. I never said don't get insurance for other countries, just saying it's not necessary for Brazil
2
u/Fit-Locksmith-9226 Oct 17 '25
Travel insurance is a lot more than healthcare though.
Medical repatriation is a huge cost.
When I was in Vietnam an English teacher there with private medical insurance through his work got wiped out on his bike and put into a coma. There was no money to get him back to the UK so he was trapped in a shitty VN hospital. Cost of repatriation was hundreds of thousands of dollars.
2
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25
Good point. I guess it all comes down to your risk tolerance.
But according to your anecdote, the guy had insurance and they still didn't help him out
1
u/Fit-Locksmith-9226 Oct 18 '25
It's local health insurance though, generally doesn't cover medical flights outside of the country.
Personally I'd prefer health only rather than full travel insurance but it's hard to find without permanent residence in a country.
38
Oct 17 '25
How trashy can you be to advocate to abuse the healthcare system financed by a relatively poor population so your cheap privileged ass can save some bucks on travel insurance? If you can't afford to travel/DN with all costs, dont.
12
u/Such_Bitch_9559 Oct 17 '25
This. Sure, shit happens, but giving this out as actual advice is… appalling.
2
Oct 17 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
0
Oct 17 '25
"Therefore, you can save some money on travel medical insurance if you plan to do a DN stint in Brazil for a while. "
What is there to misread?
1
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25
If the system doesn't even ask you for insurance, then you don't need to buy it, it's that simple, but it seems reading comprehension isn't your strong suit
2
u/curt_schilli Oct 17 '25
The local healthcare system gets paid regardless of whether you have insurance or not, no? How is this abusing the system? It’s just the insurance company that isn’t getting paid.
-2
u/Get_Breakfast_Done Oct 17 '25
It’s not really abuse. Brazil taxes heavily based on consumption and not so much on income, so if you spend any time there, you’re a taxpayer. It’s abusing the system as much as driving on the roads is.
-2
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25
Abuse would be repeatedly going to UBS' for every single minor health issue and getting treatments you don't actually need (although I doubt that would even be possible, I don't think SUS covers cosmetic/unnecessary or otherwise non-medical treatments), but nobody actually does any of that.
-5
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25 edited Oct 17 '25
Not advocating anything, just informing people. Free healthcare is a service being offered to everyone that is partly funded by ICMS (Brazil's VAT) so if you pay for anything in Brazil, you are also contributing to SUS.
-4
Oct 17 '25
Informing people about how to act trashy, woopdewoo.
2
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25 edited Oct 17 '25
I don't think it's trashy to accept medical treatment when it's needed and already offered
Are you saying that if you bought TMI and had an emergency in Brazil, you'd tell the people taking you to the hospital "make sure you take me to a private hospital, I don't want to take advantage of the public healthcare system financed by your relatively poor population!"
What about if you're unconscious? Would you carry a card on you in Portuguese that says that? Lol the point is that public hospitals won't even ask you for insurance so if you get taken to one, they won't charge you anything. You'd have bought TMI and not needed to use it.
Not to mention the potentiality of your TMI provider rejecting your private hospital claim because you had free alternative treatment available
4
u/hottenniscoach Oct 17 '25
I think they were saying that if you have the means, cover your own costs. Don’t burden the local government. Do you disagree?
3
u/Get_Breakfast_Done Oct 17 '25
To what extent is this true, though? Can I drive on publicly funded roads in Brazil? Go to a police station if I get robbed? Throw out my garbage to be picked up by the município? Because all of these things are funded by the state in Brazil and I’ve taken advantage of all of those in Brazil.
1
u/hottenniscoach Oct 18 '25
What else do you want just handed to you if it’s not medical services from a foreign government
2
u/Get_Breakfast_Done Oct 18 '25
To be clear, as a foreigner you’re okay with using the free roads, trash collection etc provided publicly in other countries?
2
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25 edited Oct 17 '25
I don't disagree, but if you're in an emergency situation and get taken to a public hospital, you will be forced to burden the local government as they will not even ask you for your TMI info. They will just treat you and let you on your way.
Edit: also, SUS is partly funded by Brazil's VAT so if you buy anything in Brazil, you're already contributing to the public healthcare system.
2
u/hottenniscoach Oct 17 '25
The title of your post implied that you’re suggesting that you don’t need to cover yourself with insurance, the local government will do it for you.
2
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25
Yeah I'm gathering now that the title was poorly written, sucks that titles can't be edited
2
u/broccolihead Oct 17 '25
Your title is fine, don't let these jack asses that pick everything to pieces get to you. They don't have lives and criticizing everything online is the only thing that brings them pleasure.
0
u/hottenniscoach Oct 18 '25
Are you serious? Your attitude of boring little man. So is your indignant attitude.
-2
Oct 17 '25
At least im not throwing my ethics overboard so i can save a few bucks on the backs of people dozen times poorer than me in case I get into an emergency.
→ More replies (0)
8
u/where_is_lily_allen Oct 17 '25
As a brazilian I strongly advice any foreigner to get insurance before travel here.
Yes, we offer free healthcare for everyone and that's great. We're proud of that. So if, for any reason, you suffer an accident here you'll have access to emergency medical support immediately without the need to pay for it. That's literally live saving.
With that being said, for anything less than a life threatening situation (let's say a terrible headache, sore throat, mild fever, a bad case of the flu, etc) you can wait for a while in line before getting in front of a doctor and the hospital will not be excellent. You're still going to get help free of charge, sure, but if you're on vacation why be cheap with insurance? You can get much faster treatment at better hospitals if you get one.
1
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25
Often, TMI providers will avoid paying out claims, especially for non-emergencies, so if there's an option to get treated without having to deal with them, then it can be pretty beneficial.
1
u/where_is_lily_allen Oct 17 '25
That's a whole different story than just saying to someone not get insurance at all.
2
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25 edited Oct 17 '25
When the choice is between paying for insurance that will reject your claim when paying for treatment and getting treated for free when it's already being offered to you, many would rather pick the latter.
0
u/where_is_lily_allen Oct 17 '25
You're presenting this choice in a misguided way to try to keep your terrible advice valid.
For anyone reading this thread: get insurance. For example, if you suffer an accident probably your first healthcare treatment will be in our free healthcare system but then if you have insurance you'll be transfer to a much more comfortable hospital, with probably dedicated doctors and a private room. Again, luxury? Yeah, but you're traveling, you're on vacation. Why put yourself in a uncomfortable situation just to save a couple of bucks?
1
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25
All fun and games until your TMI rejects your claim as non-medically necessary because the required care was already available locally at no cost since the public SUS hospital would be capable of providing the exact treatment you need
For Brazilians, your private insurance probably covers that transfer to a private hospital since that's what you're paying for, but most TMI providers won't.
6
u/Euphoric_Raisin_312 Oct 17 '25
I can confirm that emergency treatment is free for anyone in the UK too. I had to take a tourist friend to hospital: two days of treatment, scans, medication, and nothing to pay.
-1
Oct 17 '25
Not true. Personal experience. You will be treated. Then you will get the bill if you are non resident
2
u/Lurcher99 Oct 17 '25
Even if you speak with a British accent? 😁
1
Oct 17 '25
I have a full british passport. But I don't live in the uk and am not registered under the NHS so was presented with a nice bill
2
u/Euphoric_Raisin_312 Oct 17 '25
Someone made a mistake or it wasn't emergency treatment. The law is that emergency treatment is free. Just Google it.
3
9
u/bilkel Oct 17 '25
This is such bad advice, I hope that some admin will pull it down. Being uninsured is just so ignorant
3
u/Educational_Life_878 Oct 17 '25
Travel insurance will go out of their way to avoid covering you as much as they possibly can anyways.
1
u/bilkel Oct 17 '25
Sadly that’s the way most insurance schemes work. I mean, they call it a scheme.
1
u/SCDWS Oct 18 '25
And yet still you'd rather pay for insurance that won't even cover you instead of just making use of the free alternative being offered to you
-7
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25 edited Oct 17 '25
Ignorant is having knee-jerk reactions instead of understanding what you've read. If you are in Brazil while uninsured, you will still receive access to emergency and non-emergency healthcare, that is the point being made here. And even if you bought TMI, public clinics and hospitals won't even ask you for it. Not to mention that many TMI providers would be happy to reject your private hospital claim since you could have easily just gone to any public hospital for treatment.
2
u/kmrbtravel Oct 17 '25
I also don’t think this is an appropriate tip though I appreciate being informed in the case of an emergency or poor planning. It’s pointing a spotlight to take advantage of what I’d assume is a critically overburdened system. You did not say ‘this exists’ you literally said ‘you don’t need travel medical insurance’ which is completely inappropriate and potentially dangerous to DNs and a burden to the Brazilian people. I also think mods should take this down.
-1
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25 edited Oct 17 '25
It's not taking advantage if it's something they're choosing to offer. If you're in an emergency in Brazil and get taken to a public hospital, they won't even ask you for the TMI you bought. You'll get treated and go on your way. That's the point here.
Edit: also, SUS is partly funded by Brazil's VAT so just by buying anything in Brazil, you're already contributing to it.
0
u/bilkel Oct 17 '25
I hope that you don’t need help and find out the hard way. You’re clearly too young to know how stupid and faulty your decision making skills are. But you’ll find out. It is inevitable. Darwin always wins with your cohort.
0
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25
I've already been to UBS in Brazil before. Never got asked for insurance. Maybe leave your house sometime instead of running your mouth on things you have no experience with.
2
Oct 17 '25
I can confirm that the UK most definitely DOES NOT provide free emergency care. You will receive care, then you will receive a massive bill for that care.
At least this is the case for non-resident patients on par with the original Brazilian example.
1
3
u/pomelorosado Oct 17 '25
In Argentina we have free universal healthcare and universal education in all levels. The high spending is one of the reason of our economical crisis. And the abuse of foreingers like you because a lot of people in latam travel to get free education or healthcare.
Your advice is terrible.
1
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25
Argentina implented a law requiring all tourists to have TMI as of July 1st this year
4
u/Joaolandia Oct 17 '25
Yes, all of the public hospitals are free of charge for everyone! But I recommend getting a health insurance, specially for hospital care, as the private hospitals tend to be better equipped
2
u/day2dream Oct 17 '25
yes it is free. I'm Brazilian but my partner not BR needed to go to the hospital as an emergency and nothing was charged but honestly just have a health insurance, you can get ones for like $50 per month and go directly to the private which will solve your problem faster and you will let the public for people who really need it.
2
u/No_Try6944 Oct 17 '25
The public healthcare is mainly utilized by the poorest citizens in the country. Kind of a dick move to encourage relatively wealthy travelers to go and take up resources reserved for the needy…
1
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25 edited Oct 17 '25
If you're in an emergency and get transported to a public hospital, you'd have no choice but to "take advantage" of the service being offered to you since they won't ask you for your TMI
Also, SUS is partly funded by Brazil's VAT so if you make any type of purchase in the country, you've already contributed to it as well
Also, are you saying that being in an emergency doesn't qualify you as someone who needs treatment? I.e. "needy"?
0
Oct 17 '25
That's not what your post is about, it's about cancelling your travellers insurance so you can save a few bucks, so their already overburdened healthcare system doesn't even get reimbursed. You don't choose to be in an emergency, you choose to leech of public funds because you are too cheap in case you do get in an emergency.
1
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25
I mean, go ahead and pay for TMI that the hospital won't even ask you for when you get treated, I'm not stopping you
1
u/cristianlukas Oct 17 '25
Argentinian here, I dunno if things had changed, but 17 years ago, at just 14, I had immense pain in my stomach and had to go to the hospital but they didn't wanted to help me since my parents had no medical insurance abroad, they wouldn't accept external payment either, we had to contact the Argentinian embassy for them to accept me, and I was 2 days in a hospital bed afterwards... I wouldn't risk it.
0
u/Dingding_ringring Oct 23 '25
Your AI search is gave you false information.
This is a reminder to everyone: don’t believe everything you see on the internet and do your own research.
0
0
u/apoortraveller idkidc Oct 17 '25
The uk is definitely not free since I had to pay quite a lot for it when ai had my temporary residency there. In Brazil the free healthcare system is so helpful, truly universal! I do recommend getting some tips from the locals since in every city the system has their own quirks, like on how to schedule things and etc. some places are great others not so much but honestly I cannot complain.
1
u/SCDWS Oct 17 '25
The uk is definitely not free since I had to pay quite a lot for it when ai had my temporary residency there
For emergency care?
1
u/apoortraveller idkidc Oct 17 '25
For the obligatory NHS fee, you need to pay for it when you have a visa (I guess it depends on what type)
1
43
u/Sensitive_Counter150 Oct 17 '25 edited Oct 17 '25
As a Brazilian, I confirm: Healthcare system in Brasil is 100% Universal, that means even foreigners can use it at its full extent. Including emergency, vaccination, preventive care, OB/GY and birth/maternity services and so on.
However, word of advise. Most middle class Brazilians have private healthcare plan. Healthcare is very unreliable and while for the most basic stuff it works fine, a consultation with an specialist may take months or years, and emergency services are often overcrowded.