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EPS is the government health insurance in Colombia that is available to everyone with a cedula (local ID), Colombian citizens as well as foreigners with a visa and cedula.

The EPS health insurance in Colombia is available to everyone who is a resident, including people that are not eligible for private health insurance due to age or pre-existing conditions.

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EPS Health Insurance in Colombia

In an EPS plan, the delivery of services is through a network of public health providers/facilities. Keep in mind that the EPS plans cover everyone. So, it means longer waiting times to see doctors and receive medical care. Also, EPS plans include dental insurance.

In addition, to see a specialist, run diagnostic exams like blood tests or x-rays or to get a surgical procedure, with an EPS plan you will need a referral from your general practitioner.

Also, family members and dependents can be added to an EPS plan. These include:

In an EPS plan you will be assigned an IPS (Instituto Prestador de Salud), which is basically a health center, which will be your primary care location.

In addition, one thing to be careful with is that some of the EPS providers in Colombia aren’t in great financial shape. So, they are slow in paying medical providers leaving thousands of Colombians without health care services.

For example, Saludcoop EPS was in financial problems and was liquidated in 2016 and moved to the Cafesalud EPS

We recommend EPS Suramericana (EPS SURA), which is typically ranked as the number one EPS in Colombia.

More About Grupo SURA

Grupo SURA is Colombian company based in Medellín that was started in 1944. Grupo SURA is a multinational company that does business in Colombia and several other countries in Latin America.

In addition, Grupo SURA is part of Grupo Empresarial Antioqueño also known as Sindicato Antioqueño, which is a large Colombian conglomerate composed of about 125 companies including owning a large percentage of shares in Bancolombia, Grupo Nutresa and Grupo Argos.

SURA’s primary businesses are health insurance, life insurance, investment banking and asset management. Also, SURA reportedly has over 4,600 doctors and over 400 hospitals and medical centers in their network.

How to Sign Up for SURA Health Insurance

It is possible to sign up for SURA health insurance yourself. But the forms are in Spanish and can be complicated and difficult for foreigners who don’t speak Spanish.

So, we recommend working with an insurance agent who is bilingual. The insurance agent we partnered with offers a service to help expats sign up for SURA EPS.

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Medellin Guru's Colombian Insurance and Healthcare Articles

The Bottom Line: Sign up for SURA EPS Insurance - A Service for Expats in Colombia

In Colombia, it is possible to have access to world-class healthcare at a fraction of the cost compared to healthcare costs in North America or Europe.

Health insurance is also relatively inexpensive in Colombia in comparison to health insurance costs in the U.S. and many countries in Europe. In addition, it’s fairly easy for a foreigner to sign up for health insurance in Colombia.

Also, “How to sign up with Colombian Health insurance?” is a common question asked by expats moving to Colombia. So, we included this question in our list of Medellín frequently asked questions (FAQ).

Many Medellin Guru readers have obtained insurance in Colombia through our insurance agent partnership including health insurance, auto insurance, homeowners insurance, life insurance and travel insurance.

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