The Costa Rican Medical Professionals Association (Colegio de Médicos y Cirujanos) recently issued an alert to drivers in Costa Rica to avoid scams when getting the medical certificate required to obtain or renew a license.

There have also been changes to the medical certificate procedures, as now all certifications are entered into a digital system.

To avoid falling victim to a scam, and paying a sham doctor for a medical certificate that will be rejected when you go to renew your license, the medical association recommends following these five guidelines:

 

1. Price: The official rate for a medical certificate is  ₵20,000 (twenty thousand colones). A sure sign of a scam is when you are promised a certificate for a lower amount.
2. Offices: Scammers proliferate in the vicinity of license renewal offices, such as the Cosevi or even branches of the Banco de Costa Rica that also handle such procedures. They will be the ones who approach you on the street with a great bargain. Better to find a legitimate medical office near where you live. Some pharmacies also offer the “dictamen médico” service and if not, can direct you to the closest office that offers the service.
3. Procedure: If the doctor does not conduct any type of examination or interview you, but just fills in the paper without talking to you, beware of a possible scam.
4. Email notification: Once the doctor finishes the exam, if it is a legitimate office, the information will be recorded in a digital system that will email you confirmation of the certification, or dictamen.  This email will be send from the following address: [email protected], which only legitimate doctors can access.
5. Doctor: Your regular medical doctor can provide you with the dictamen, and, if you choose someone else, you can call the medical association to ensure they are an incorporated professional: 2210-2263.

The digital system sends a copy of your medical certificate to the Road Safety and Education Council (Cosevi) which is linked to your license or ID number. It will remain valid in the system for up to 180 days. All you need to present at the time of renewing or getting a license is the digital code for the medical certificate, the paper is irrelevant as all the information is already in their digital system. The email notification will be sent to you immediately upon the doctor completing the certificate.

Scammers have found a way to use outdated forms and will assure you that your information has been entered into the digital system and tell you all you need is the paper form, but if you fail to receive an email, you will know it is bogus.

A few such cases of people being scammed when getting their medical certificate have been reported by Cosevi this year, said the medical association, but no individuals have been reported for their unethical behavior as of yet.