Doctors, insurance and emergencies in Santiago

Two systems, one contribution

Chile runs a public insurer, FONASA, alongside the private ISAPREs, and you belong to one or the other and never to both. Both are funded from the same mandatory contribution of 7% of taxable salary, capped at a taxable income of 90 UF. What an ISAPRE plan costs above that 7%, and what a private consultation or a FONASA bono costs, could not be read from any insurer or clinic price list when this was checked, so ask for both in writing before you choose. Moving between the two has a timing rule of its own, below.

FONASA takes everyone, and the public network is free

FONASA states that it excludes nobody living in national territory, regardless of age, income, number of dependants, pre-existing conditions or nationality, and its own list of who may join includes foreigners who are irregular or without documents. Under Copago Cero, in force since September 2022, treatment in the public network — CESFAM, consultorios, postas and public hospitals — is free at the point of use for members in every bracket, A through D. FONASA's own account of what it covers runs from consultations, tests and diagnostic procedures to surgery, hospitalisation, obstetric care and the medicines on the Formulario Nacional, alongside AUGE/GES and the Ley de Urgencia. Dependants cost nothing extra, because the 7% covers the member's cargas familiares as well as the member.

The brackets, and what they change

The four income brackets were updated on 1 May 2026 under Ley 21.830. Tramo A is for people without resources, B runs to CLP 553,553 of monthly taxable income, C from CLP 553,554 to CLP 808,187, and D above CLP 808,188. The bracket does not change your access to the public network, which is free in all of them; it changes the Modalidad de Libre Elección, where members in B, C and D buy bonos to be seen by private providers under contract and members in A cannot. With three or more dependants, D drops to C and C drops to B.

Registering, and the regulator

You register at fonasa.cl, logging in with your RUN or with ClaveÚnica, or in person at a FONASA branch. It is a five-step form, and step four inscribes you at a health centre for the address you give, which is why proof of address is required and why your registration is tied to one specific clinic. Have ready a photo of both sides of the cédula, your most recent payslip showing the contribution paid to FONASA, proof of address, and the IPS or Caja de Compensación registration of any dependants; if any of them is missing, FONASA rejects the application outright.

• Coming from an ISAPRE, wait for the cover to end before registering. The end date is one month after the date on the certificado de desafiliación.
• With no job, FONASA asks instead for your last 12 AFP contributions, a photo of the cédula, an AFC statement and proof of address.
• The Superintendencia de Salud regulates both FONASA and the ISAPREs, runs complaints and mediation, and publishes a price-analysis tool for tests. Its line is 600 836 9000.