Portugal

The Portuguese healthcare market features a public National Health System that provides coverage for more than half of all residents. That system is paid for by tax revenue generated through corporate levies, in addition to optional premiums. About one-quarter of all residents are covered by a second government subsystem. Private healthcare options exist outside of these other public options, taking up about 10 percent of the market. In Portugal, the right to health protection is constitutionally guaranteed; as such, public healthcare is provided free of charge at the national level. An internal review of the healthcare system commissioned by the government in 2016 revealed that local experts believe Portuguese healthcare has both the quality and the capacity to develop one of the world’s most successful health tourism programs. Portugal is one of several new entrants to the MTI, and it ranks 21st overall and seventh among European destinations. It ranks 30th in Quality of Care, 31st in Facilities, and 34th in Accreditation.

*Based on the 2020 – 2021 Global MTI (Medical Tourism Index) Report published by the Medical Tourism Association.*