Months ago, an expat client who had recently arrived in Cuenca suffered an accident just a few days after signing his health insurance policy. He fell and broke his nose, and instead of calling me, his insurance agent, he called a taxi to take him to the hospital. After being seen by a doctor and a specialist who ordered x-rays, he paid and left without knowing the test results.
Three days later, the client called me to inform me that he was upset because the doctor had not called him to discuss the results and any necessary surgery. I was confused as to why the doctor would need to call him, but upon speaking to the client again, I realized that he did not understand how the medical system in Ecuador worked. I explained in detail how the system operates and how to proceed if he has another accident or incident.
The good news is that BMI, covered the cost of the nose reconstruction, medication and lab work, since it was an accident and had immediate coverage. The lesson learned from this situation is that expats in Ecuador should know that the medical process is completely different than what they are used to.
My advice to expats is to call their insurance agent if they need any help related to healthcare. At least that is how I work. It is my job to be with them and help them while they focus on getting better.

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