International health insurance for expats and retirees in Panama
Panama City, Boquete, Coronado and the Azuero coast attract retirees and remote workers from North America, Europe and Latin America. The country uses the US dollar, has modern private hospitals in the capital, and offers one of the best-known retirement visas in the world. What it does not offer most newcomers is a public system they can rely on, which is why an international plan is usually the first thing to arrange.
Why expats in Panama choose private international cover
Panama’s public system has two parts: the Caja de Seguro Social (CSS), funded by contributions and tied mainly to formal employment, and the Ministry of Health (MINSA) network. A retiree who has never worked in Panama has no automatic route into the CSS, and waiting times for non-urgent procedures can be long. Most insured expats are treated in the private sector, at hospitals such as Hospital Punta Pacífica and Hospital Nacional in Panama City, where English-speaking specialists are concentrated (Expat Focus).
An international plan pays those hospitals directly for pre-authorised in-patient treatment, covers you outside Panama inside your area of cover, and includes evacuation when the right treatment is in another country.
Health insurance and Panamanian visas
- Pensionado (retiree) visa. Granted on proof of a lifetime pension; it gives discounts on medical consultations and hospital bills, but it is not health insurance. Insurance is not a formal condition of the Pensionado visa itself, yet for a retiree without access to the CSS it is the only real protection against a large hospital bill.
- Short-stay remote worker visa. Applicants must show foreign income of at least US$36,000 a year and a copy of a health insurance policy with coverage in Panama for the length of the stay. The visa is valid for nine months and can be extended once (Kraemer & Kraemer).
Panamanian consulates may ask for the insurance documents to be issued recently and legalised. Confirm your checklist with the consulate or your lawyer; we issue the certificate of insurance in English or Spanish as soon as the policy is in force.
Choosing the area of cover
Most clients in Panama choose worldwide cover excluding the USA, which covers treatment in Panama, the rest of Latin America and Europe. Americans and Canadians who want the option of treatment in the US can include it, at a higher premium. With Cigna Global, plans that exclude the US still include emergency hospital treatment there up to €75,000 on Silver and €200,000 on Gold, and in full on Platinum. We price both so you can see the difference.
Retirees, age and medical history
International plans are individually underwritten: you declare your medical history, and the insurer may cover a condition as standard, exclude it or apply a loading. Entry-age rules differ between insurers, so give us every age in the household and we tell you straight away which plans are open to you. US citizens are placed with Cigna Global, because Allianz Care does not accept US citizens. Panamanian citizens living in Panama are normally not eligible for an international plan.
How we work
Both insurers, side by side
Allianz Care and Cigna Global configured on the same terms, with our recommendation in writing.
One adviser, quote to claim
The person who quotes your plan handles the application, the certificate, renewals and claims.
No fee to you
We are paid by the insurer. Quotation, comparison and help with claims cost you nothing.
Get your international health insurance quote
Four details are enough to start. We reply in writing within one working day with Allianz Care and Cigna Global configured for you.
Thank you
We will come back to you in writing within one working day.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need health insurance for the Pensionado visa?
Insurance is not a formal condition of the Pensionado visa, and the Pensionado discounts are not insurance. Because a retiree without a Panamanian work history has no automatic access to the CSS, private cover is what protects you against a large hospital bill.
Does an international plan meet the remote-worker visa requirement?
The visa asks for a health insurance policy with coverage in Panama for your stay. An international plan whose area of cover includes Panama provides that, and we issue the certificate of insurance for your application. The consulate decides what it accepts, so confirm the checklist with them.
Allianz Care or Cigna Global for Panama?
Both write cover for expats living in Panama. Allianz Care includes repatriation in every plan; Cigna Global is more modular and accepts US citizens. We quote both on the same terms.
Can I be treated in the United States?
Yes, if you choose worldwide cover including the USA. Without it, Cigna Global still covers emergency hospital treatment in the US up to the limit of your plan.
Related reading
Adler & Rochefort is the commercial brand of Ownizo, Unipessoal Lda., an insurance broker registered with the Autoridade de Supervisão de Seguros e Fundos de Pensões (ASF) under no. 425591790/3, authorised to carry on insurance mediation in the life and non-life branches, and not a tied agent of any insurer. We are appointed to distribute the international health plans of Allianz Care, Cigna Global and APRIL International. Availability depends on your nationality, your main country of residence and local law, and is confirmed before any quotation. This page is general information, not advice on a specific case, and not an offer of insurance. Acceptance, cover, limits, exclusions and premium are determined by the insurer following medical underwriting and are governed exclusively by the policy conditions issued.