(QCOSTARICA) After a week of criticism from many sectors, State insurer, the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS), announced this Friday the new rates that will govern travel insurance for international tourists visiting the country.
The rate is calculated on the age of the traveler and length of stay.
Thus, from now on, as an example, a 45-year-old tourist entering the country may purchase an INS policy for US$9.4 dollars a day (US$131 for a two-week stay) that includes coverage for medical expenses, accommodation expenses and without exclusions due to pandemic or epidemic.
Meanwhile, if the traveler is between 71 and 80 years old, this insurance will cost US$18 per day.
In addition, if the policy is contracted for the family group, a 5% discount is offered.
This second insurance option (because, according to the INS, the high costing first is still enabled) includes coverage up to US$20,000 dollars for medical expenses, accommodation, repatriation of mortal remains and accidental death, as well as partial or permanent disability due to accident.
The lower price insurance policy is being offered from this Friday, August 7, and is already duly registered with the insurance regulator, the Superintendencia General de Seguros (Sugese), according to the executive president of the INS, Róger Arias Agüero.
“We are committed to providing a second option to tourists with the sole objective of contributing to the reactivation of tourism and avoiding, as far as possible, the saturation of public health centers, and that is what we are doing. We are very pleased to offer this alternative with more accessible prices that we are sure will allow us to provide protection to hundreds of tourists,”, said Arias.
The first option by the INS, announced only last week, which generated criticism from the tourism sector – operators and chambers and legislators, resulted in a number of trips cancelation and potential tourists who would seek out other destinations, charges visitors from US$275 dollars for minors to US$965 for travelers over 70.
The lower rares are no surprise. Last Saturday, the INS announced it would be offering a lower cost option for travelers. On Wednesday, the Ministries of Health, Public Security and the Casa Presidencial (Government House) promulgated an Executive Decree that allows international tourists who want to travel to Costa Rica to use an international travel insurance policy.
Links to the INS page: https://www.grupoins.com/seguroparaviajeros
