Healthcare in El Salvador: Hospitals and Health Insurance
Healthcare in El Salvador
With a population of just over 6.1 million in 2015, El Salvador ranks 110th in the world by population and 153rd by total area. The official language of El Salvador is Spanish. The currency is the United States dollar.
El Salvador ranks 115th in world health ranking per WHO. In 2014, the total expenditure on health per person was $565, which is 6.8% of the GDP. El Salvador males have a life expectancy at birth of 69 years, and females can expect to live 78 years. There are 1.6 physicians per 1,000 people in El Salvador as compared with 2.56 physicians per 1,000 people in the United States.
Hospitals in El Salvador
El Salvador has both public and private health care facilities. Managed by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MSPAS) the quality of the 30 public hospitals, primary care facilities, and basic health care centers varies, but they are generally understaffed and poorly equipped. Services are limited to immunizations, prenatal care, and educational material; surgeries or complicated procedures are not an option.
Private facilities (clinics, general hospitals, and specialist hospitals), located in the capital city of San Salvador and other large cities, have a much better standard of care. These private facilities are funded by fee-for-service payments from patients or their insurance providers.
Non-profit facilities run by Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) offer preventive treatment and other medical services in rural areas as well as in cities and towns. Some remote communities have almost no medical facilities. Instead, the government trains community workers to provide basic health care and disease prevention information in remote areas.
Health Insurance in El Salvador
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MSPAS) oversees two systems of publicly funded healthcare:
Instituto Salvadoreno del Seguro Social (ISSS) is a social security network for employees and employers. Both groups make payments, employees 3% of total monthly income and employers 7.5% of every employee’s salary.
National Health Service (NHS) serves the nearly 78% of the population that do not qualify for ISSS. Underfunded and underdeveloped, this system struggles to provide health services and meet the medical needs of this population.
Other, industry-specific insurance systems exist as well. Teachers and their families are provided health benefits by the Ministry of Education. Military families have a similar system.
Private insurance is also available through a number of providers.
Travel (International) Health Insurance in El Salvador
Travel, or international, health insurance provides comprehensive medical coverage when traveling outside of one’s home country. Travel health insurance is different from travel insurance, as the latter may provide only emergency coverage but not full medical coverage.
Travelers should check with their health insurance provider, as they may already have an option of international health coverage. If they do not, they can purchase travel health insurance from their home country or the destination country.
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