Medical care in San Jose adequate. Outside of San Jose, medical care more limited. Supplemental medical insurance with specific overseas coverage, including provision for medical evacuation, useful in emergencies. Buy adequate locally-valid theft insurance when renting vehicles. Several recent kidnappings, whose victims included foreigners.
Law enforcement has limited capabilities.
Credit card fraud growing. Some US landowners have long-standing expropriation disputes with government. In late 1997, US citizen killed attempting to protect his property. Cambios give better rates of exchange than banks. Credit card fraud growing.