'Medical exam' Immigration

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Medical exam

All working Uruguayans need a carnet de salud so most people go through the identical test every 3 years or so. I did the three yearly carnet myself in January and had a short lecture on my lack of "good" cholesterol, high uric acid and alkali phosphate levels (I lost him at that point) but was praised for my blood pressure, urged to lose weight, smoke fewer cigarettes and to come back for more blood tests in July. :-)

I've never heard of anyone "failing it"... its more a questions, inspection and blood test than an exam... though you'll need to get a tetanus jab and certificate first. These are available free at government clinics.

When you work in Uruguay you are required to have a "carne de sauld", ie: medical id card. It is the same "exam" to get that card as for residency. The only difference being that the residency one says it is for residency and immigration keeps the card.

The card expires 2 years from when you get it. ie: if you are working, you need to get the "exam" every 2 years. We think of "exam" as a test that can be passed or failed. I think this is really a "forced" checkup, ie: to work you have to see a dr at least once every 2 years.

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I know someone who was turned down by the British Hospital for membership (ie: health care 'insurance') because, in his words, he was "too fat". I was turned down initially, because I had an enlarged thyroid. Though I was accepted after surgery at a different hospital. (I didn't like their rates or the attitude of the surgeon).

The other mutualistas seem to be much more flexible.

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Mutualistas, however, would check you for ECONOMIC reasons. They will check your health and then it'll depend on the particular Mutualista's policy about medical pre-conditions. Some may let you in but will except all treatments or medication related to the pre-condition. Others may accept you without any exceptions. And other will reject you. The cost of treatment for the desease detected, and your age will also count for the Mutualista's decision. You'll have to check directly with them.

As Patrick has posted in previous posted if you are contributing to the BPS as an employee or as self-employed, you are entitled for coverage no matter your health status.

While I sometimes moan about the FA's tax'n'spend ways, I must agree that their inclusion of a free local mutualista membership when you pay BPS is a remarkably fine policy :-)

As a rural land owner, you will be charged BPS just for owning farmland but you will not be entitled to the benefits. If you register as a self-employed rural worker (a process called unipersonalization) you will be charged a bit more BPS but will gain the benefits from it like a "free" mutualista subscription. Self employed rural lifeforms pay itro 16, 000 pesos a year but non-rural people pay about twice that. The mutualistas (health co-ops) charge private subscribers about the same as the BPS charges self-employed agricultural workers so for such people, it pays to pay BPS as it avoids the need to pay a mutualista subscription.

Self-employed farmers pay no income tax but are (in theory) subject to a sales tax on their produce. This usually only get charged if you sell the produce to a registered wholesaler or merchant.

FA is short for Frente Amplio (Broad Front) which is the radical/socialist coalition which currently governs the country.

There is an old system of basic free health care but recent changes have resulted in many people now getting access to the mutualista system which generally speaking, offers a better service.

As far as I know the participating mutualistas cannot refuse to take on a patient who has mutualista healthcare entitlement by virtue of them paying BPS. On the other hand I am not 101% certain about this so you'll need to check it out with a local lawyer.

Both I (a unipersonalized small farmer) and my SO (a unipersonalized tractor driver) get our "free" healthcare from CAMEC which is the local east Colonia mutualista. Both the polyclinic here in Valdense and CAMEC's district hospital at nearby Rosario have given us no cause for complaint over the last 4 years.

The BPS system is much kinder to employees and the self-employed than it is to employers who seem to be viewed as "rich enough already." :-)

One of the many reasons why we chose to settle near Valdense is that the "city" (pop 4000) specialises in care for the elderly as well as for those with mental health problems. We have many retired folk (both Uruguayos and Argentinos) in our various live-in homes so there is a large pool of skilled care personnel available. We are both still fit and active but having both spent eye-watering sums of money on old age care for our aged parents in the UK during the 80s and 90s (nearly 450, 000 U$S in total, ) the availability of reasonably priced care personnel was high on our list of requirements. I'm told that the rest of the ROU is well provided with care people too but I only know the details here in Valdense.

Like most things in the ROU, you'll need an escribano/a to register you. One point to note... rural occupations (even pretend ones) only pay half the BPS contributions that urban occupations do. My electrician from Valdense is officially a "tractor driver, " my dentist is officially a "horticultural consultant" and my friend who runs 4 private English language schools is a "dairy operative" for BPS purposes. My tractor has many drivers :-)

As for churches, I live in the heart of protestant Uruguay where numbers of persecuted minorities from Europe settled. Here in Valdense (pop 4000) we have 7 churches including the Valdenseans or Waldenseans... gnostic Christians who claim to be the descendants of the much persecuted Cathars and Nueva Helvecia has many more inc the Latter Day Saints. AFAIK they all do their services in Espanol.

Montevideo has an Anglican cathedral and I think that they put on services in English as well as Espanol.

We are an official secular state which treats all religions equally. As a result we get quite a lot of assorted missionaries coming here (mostly Christian.) The downside is that religious holidays have silly official names. Santa Semana (Holy Week) is known as The Week of Tourism and because many workers visit their family homes at that time, its not unusual to see hotels and restaurants with signs saying "Closed for the Week of Tourism." The Catalans work hard at being surreal but here we do it naturally. :-)

Hi,

I discovered this quote recently in a Uruguayan Expat's message:

Here is his message: “I moved to UY in October 2010 and after buying a home set out to get Medical coverage. I have now been told by Mautone and Medica Uruguaya that in August 2010 the Uruguayan Government made a new rule that if you are 65 or older and do not have medical coverage, you can not get it."

I am planning to move to Uruguay in September of 2011, and immediately apply for Permanent Residency. I will be 66 years old at that time. I plan to start a unipersonal business making metal sculptures to sell.

1) Does anyone on this forum know if that new law prohibiting me from getting health care really exists, and precisely what it prohibits?

2) Does anyone know for sure if I will, or will not, be able to join a Mutualista through BPS, through my unipersonal business?

3) Perhaps BPS thinks I should not work after 65? My Dad was still working at 86.

Thanks very much

While it was not uncommon for mutualistas to refuse to grant membership to private paying applicants over a certain age (some said 60 and some 65, ) the previous position (if it really has been overturned) was that people who pay BPS contributions by virtue of employment or self-employment are entitled to mutualista medical cover without limitations on the grounds of age.

Employers and self-employed people here get such pitiful pensions that retirement is not an economic option unless they are wealthy.

You have to ??? Can you explain the steps?

Thanks Patrick,

Guess I'll have to contact a lawyer there, or try to contact BPS directly.

Bill

If you are employed, your employer will pay your contributions to the BPS on your behalf. I am self-employed (unipersonalised) so I pay the contributions through my local gestor (sort of public accountants/ administrators) in three equal instalments of about 5, 600 pesos in mid January, mid May and mid September. Were I a non-rural lifeform, I'm told that the contributions would be about twice as much.

Before I unipersonalized I had to pay about 10, 000 pesos a year by virtue of owning farmland but I received no benefits for this. I now pay 50% more but I get the benefits.

BPS also levies fees on building works but like farmland ownership, the payer gets no benefits.

sistema nacional integrado de salud

This might have a little info to help with some of the mysteries

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