Articles

Ecuador's social security health system just announced follow-up visits will be halved from 20 to 10 minutes. Specialists still get 20. If you use IESS for healthcare, here's what's changing and how to make the most of shorter visits.

Ecuador's public health system has a bizarre problem: too many general practitioners and not enough surgeons, anesthesiologists, and specialists. Cuenca's José Carrasco Arteaga Hospital is short on oncologists while 13,000+ patients wait for operations nationwide.

Medicine shortages, payment failures, and overwhelmed hospitals plague Ecuador's public system. But for expats in Cuenca, private healthcare remains remarkably affordable — if you know how to navigate your options.

Cuenca remains one of the most affordable cities for expats in the Americas, but costs are rising faster than they used to. Here's an honest, line-by-line breakdown of what it actually costs to live here in 2026 — and how to stretch your dollars further.

Ecuador's social security system just changed how it calculates voluntary affiliate contributions, and the new numbers are giving expats sticker shock. Here's what you're actually looking at now, whether IESS is still worth it, and how it stacks up against private insurance.

Cuenca's first rural municipal hospital opens February 1 in El Valle parish. The $8.2 million facility brings 31 medical specialties, two operating rooms, and round-the-clock emergency services to the southern parishes.