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San Marino Expat Health Insurance

The Republic of San Marino, also known simply as San Marino, is an enclave surrounded by Italy. San Marino lies to the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains on the Italian peninsula. San Marino’s capital is the City of San Marino, and the country’s largest city is Dogana. The official language is Italian and the local currency is the Euro. San Marino, being located near to the Mediterranean Sea, experiences warm summers and cool winters.

San Marino has a population of 31,716 people who are dispersed over a land area of 61.2 square kilometers. San Marino has the smallest population of all the Council of Europe member states. San Marino’s constitution was enacted on the 8th of October 1600. Governance is in the form of a Parliamentary Republic.

San Marino is divided into nine municipalities, known as castelli (meaning castles), including the City of San Marino. The other eight municipalities are Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Montegiardino and Serravalle. The republic is further divided into 43 hamlets known as curazie.

San Marino’s Gross Domestic Product for 2009 was US$ 1.535 billion; the country’s economy is currently contracting, with San Marino experiencing a negative growth rate of – 13 percent. In 2009 the per capita earning was US$ 36,200 with the country’s labor force that same year estimated to consist of 22,950 people. According to 2010 figures 0.1 percent of the local population was employed in an agricultural capacity, with 39.2 percent engaged in Industrial activities, and the remaining 60.7 percent work within the services sector. Additionally, as of 2010, the San Marino unemployment rate stood at 3.8 percent.

San Marino has no public debt; its budget runs at a surplus. The mainstays of the San Marino economy are tourism and banking. Approximately two million tourists visited San Marino in 2009. Tourism contributed 2.2 percent to San Marino’s Gross Domestic Product that same year.

San Marino Healthcare System

San Marino operates a system of state-funded medical care. Administered by the San Marino Government Health Institute, enrolling in this system is mandatory for all residents within the country. All citizens and permanent residents within the country are entitled to equal access to healthcare. As a result of this, and extensive education and training for local medical professionals, San Marino is ranked among the top three countries in Europe for the quality of healthcare services available.

Individuals employed in the country must register with the San Marino Health Insurance Fund, known as the Azienda Sinit Locale. Upon starting employment in San Marino, or when joining a new company in the country, you will be requested to update your registration details. One the registration has been completed you will receive a national health insurance card and registration number entitling you to receive healthcare through the public system. Self employed individuals are also able to join this scheme, but must pay higher rates towards the system than individuals employed by a company. Under the state-funded scheme, pensioners, unemployed individuals, and long term sickness patients do not have to make a monetary contribution to receive the national healthcare benefit, nor do mothers on maternity leave.

Foreigners immigrating to San Marino, who have not been employed locally and who wish to obtain a residence permit, must show proof of private health insurance coverage in order to receive a residency visa. Foreigners who are employed in San Marino, and who have made contributions to the national healthcare scheme, are entitled to access free healthcare through the government system after two years of fulltime residency in the country. The state health care system covers a range of treatments including specialist consultations, maternity services, in-patient care, and rehabilitation services.

Appointments with General Practitioners, and referrals to specialists, are free under the government system. However, it is important to note that patients do have to cover the cost of some prescription medicines. Medical health centres, staffed by doctors and nurses, provide out-patient services such as, general practice, maternity care, child healthcare and dental treatment. The country’s Medical Health Centers also provide laboratory, radiology and other diagnostic services. Waiting times do vary, and it is recommended that you make an appointment before you arrive at a centre.

Doctors in San Marino are known as Medico Dottore, and are the first point of contact in the San Marino health care system. Once you are registered with the national health care system you are automatically registered with your nearest neighbourhood Medico Dottore. Consultants offer specialised care that is available with a General Practitioner’s referral. There is often a long waiting list to access consultant care in San Marino.

The San Marino Hospital is only state owned hospital in the country. Patients are admitted directly through the emergency department or by a referral from their doctor. Emergency care is free for all people in the country, regardless of whether or not they have San Marino medical insurance. The free emergency care in the country is only applicable to real emergency treatment; if your treatment is not deemed an emergency, and you are not covered by the national healthcare system, then you will have to pay for the cost of any care you receive.

There are numerous private medical practices in San Marino which are funded independently by private health insurance contributions. There is no significant difference in care between private and public medical facilities. However, treatment through the private medical facilities in San Marino will often come with reduced waiting times and greater attention to customer service. Private San Marino Health Insurance is often purchased in order to avoid waiting times at the nation’s public healthcare institutions, as these policies will allow an individual to access private medical services.

Pharmacies, known as Farmacia, are the distribution points for medicines in San Marino. These are recognisable by large green crosses outside the door. At least one pharmacy in each town remains open 24 hours a day. Prescriptions, known as Ricotta Medica, are given to patients by doctors and specialist consultants.

According to estimates, the population of San Marino will experience a growth rate of 1.43 percent in 2011. Estimates of the birth rate for that same year were 9.02 births per 1,000 inhabitants, while the death rate is estimated to be stable at 7.98 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. The infant morality rate is set at 4.72 deaths per 1,000 live births, while the average life expectancy for males is 80.5 years from birth, with females expected to live approximately 85.74 years. Sammarinese have one of the highest life expectancies in the world. The total fertility rate is expected to be 1.47 children born per woman. The net migration rate is expected to be 9.3 migrants per 1,000 people. The rate of urbanization is 94 percent of the total population.

There are no airports in San Marino. The country is serviced by a road network of 220 km and an international heliport. The nearest airport is Federico Fellini International Airport in Rimini, Italy; arriving at this airport you are then able to transfer by bus to most destinations in San Marino. The country has no major ports or rivers.

San Marino Expat Health Insurance

If you are considering spending any time in the enclave of San Marino contact Global Health Insurance today to discuss, free of charge the range of international medical insurance options available to you. Our team of highly trained expatriate health insurance professionals can often tailor policies to meet your specific needs and budget. The plans we work with can provide a range of coverage options in San Marino, expat health insurance can not only provide high levels of benefits for major hospitalizations but also other optional coverage benefits. For more information about the extensive range of San Marino expat health insurance options available from Global Health Insurance, or to receive a free quote, please contact us today.