- Valid DPI
- IGSS affiliate number (NA) — on pay stub or work certificate
- IGSS carnet (if issued)
- Recent work certificate (if recent affiliation)
- For maternity: medical pregnancy certification
- For accident: employer report (if work-related) or report (if common)
The EMA Program (Enfermedad, Maternidad y Accidentes — Illness, Maternity, Accidents) is the medical care arm of IGSS. It is the component that most affiliates know — because it is the one most used in active working life: consultations, hospitals, newborn care, accidents.
EMA quick summary: IGSS’s short-term medical care program. Covers 3 areas: Illness (consultations, hospital, medications), Maternity (84-day subsidy + complete care), Accidents (work and non-work). Free within the IGSS network — funded by the monthly contribution (4.83% employee + 12.67% employer). Retirement pension is the IVS program, not EMA.
Data verified against IGSS portal (igssgt.org), Decreto 295, and Acuerdos 410/466 — May 2026.
EMA Within IGSS — The Five Programs
IGSS runs five distinct programs, each with its own legal framework and target population:
| Program | What it covers | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| EMA | Medical care (this page) | Monthly contribution 4.83% + 12.67% |
| IVS | Pensions (old-age, disability, survivors) | Same monthly contribution |
| PRECAPI | Domestic household workers | Employer (family) — voluntary |
| IPLENA | Children and adolescents | Mixed (contributions + state) |
| PLAN | IGSS internal employees | Own contribution (IGSS staff) |
When 4.83% IGSS is deducted from your salary each month and your employer pays 12.67%, that contribution is split internally between IVS, EMA, and administration. Approximately half goes to EMA — which is why IGSS operates the largest public hospital network in Guatemala.
Detailed contribution breakdown →
The Three Areas of EMA
1. Illness (Common Health)
Covers all medical care that is not from an accident or maternity — flu, diabetes, hypertension, scheduled surgery, cancer, mental health, specialties.
| Concept | Detail |
|---|---|
| General consultation | IGSS clinics by zone or department |
| Specialties | General Hospital + regional hospitals — cardiology, oncology, neurology, orthopedics, etc. |
| Hospitalization | Room, meals, 24/7 care |
| Medications | IGSS basic formulary — given free to affiliate |
| Exams | Clinical lab, imaging (X-ray, ultrasound, CT, MRI subject to availability) |
| Surgeries | Scheduled and emergency |
| Cash subsidy | 2/3 of salary during temporary incapacity certified by IGSS doctor |
| Waiting period (formal worker) | Generally from first month formal — depends on contributions reported |
Medications are a significant EMA benefit — IGSS maintains a basic formulary covering most chronic conditions. For medications outside the formulary, the affiliate can purchase out-of-pocket or file a special request (slow process).
2. Maternity
One of the most-valued benefits of IGSS for formal women workers. Complete coverage before, during, and after childbirth.
| Concept | Detail |
|---|---|
| Prenatal care | Consultations, ultrasounds, exams during pregnancy |
| Birth | Care at IGSS hospital — Gineco-Obstetric Hospital (capital) or departmental hospitals |
| C-section | Covered if medically indicated |
| Newborn care | IGSS pediatrician for first months (~up to 5 years at some hospitals) |
| Maternity subsidy | 84 days at 100% salary — IGSS pays the worker directly |
| 84-day distribution | 30 days prenatal + 54 days postnatal (adjustable depending on birth) |
| Waiting period | 4 contributions within last 6 months before birth (voluntary or recent affiliate) |
| Coverage for affiliate’s spouse | YES — formal worker’s wife gets complete prenatal and birth care, but NO cash subsidy (cash benefit is only for working affiliated mother) |
The 84-day subsidy at 100% salary is one of the few labor benefits in Guatemala where the worker receives equal salary during incapacity — most regimes pay 2/3. This protection exists because IGSS recognizes pregnancy as a natural state deserving full protection, not an illness.
Detailed IGSS Maternity Process →
3. Accidents
Accident coverage — and here is an important distinction: two accident types are treated differently.
Common Accident (outside work hours)
Complete medical coverage: emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, medications. If temporary incapacity, cash subsidy from IGSS.
Occupational Accident (during work or commute)
Additional coverage: in addition to complete medical care, if you have partial permanent incapacity you receive an IGSS pension proportional to the loss of earning capacity (10%-90% per medical ruling). If total permanent incapacity (cannot return to work), pension equivalent to IVS disability pension.
IGSS operates the Accidents Hospital in Guatemala City — exclusive trauma, orthopedic, reconstructive surgery care. One of the best-equipped public hospitals in Guatemala for trauma.
Who Receives EMA Care — Complete Table
| Person | EMA coverage |
|---|---|
| Active affiliate (contributing) | Complete: illness + maternity + accident |
| Voluntary affiliate (voluntary contribution) | Titleholder only (not family) — medical coverage at 4th month |
| Affiliate’s spouse (during maternity) | Prenatal + birth + postnatal care, no cash subsidy |
| Affiliate’s spouse (common illness) | NOT automatically — only in some convention or pediatric service cases |
| Affiliate’s children under 5 | Yes at IGSS pediatric hospitals (partial) |
| Affiliate’s children over 5 | NOT automatically under EMA |
| IGSS pensioners | Yes via CAMIP — specialized pensioner clinic |
| PRECAPI domestic worker | Yes — EMA coverage via PRECAPI |
| IGSS internal employee | Yes — via PLAN program |
| Children/youth under IPLENA | Yes — specific program |
For full family coverage, consider private supplemental insurance in addition to IGSS. Private insurance costs in Guatemala are reasonable (Q1,500-4,000/month for 4-person family) and cover private hospitals.
IGSS Hospitals and Clinics — Main Network
Guatemala City (main)
- General Hospital of Illnesses (Hospital General de Enfermedades) — general care, specialties, hospitalization
- Gineco-Obstetric Hospital (Pamplona) — maternity and gynecology
- Accidents Hospital — trauma and orthopedics
- Juan Jose Arevalo Bermejo Hospital — pediatric specialties
- Specialties Hospital — tertiary care
- CAMIP — exclusive pensioner care
Departments
IGSS has hospital or clinic in each department capital — Quetzaltenango, Escuintla, Coatepeque, Mazatenango, Cobán, Huehuetenango, etc. Affiliate coverage is by zone: you must be cared for at the IGSS center corresponding to your zone of residence (defined at affiliation). Zone changes require a process.
Common Mistakes with EMA
1. Expecting reimbursement for private care. IGSS does not reimburse care at private hospitals. If you go to Centro Medico or Herrera Llerandi, you pay 100% — IGSS does not refund. Care is only in IGSS network.
2. Believing family is automatically covered. Only the affiliate and the spouse during maternity. Children only in pediatric hospitals and mostly limited to age 5. Spouse outside maternity NOT automatically covered.
3. Not reporting accidents as occupational. If the accident happened during work hours or while commuting, it must be reported as occupational within the first 48 hours. Reporting it as common loses you the permanent-incapacity pension if applicable.
4. Forgetting that waiting periods apply to voluntary affiliates. If you contribute voluntarily and get sick in month 3, you are not covered yet — voluntary medical coverage starts at month 4.
5. Not updating assigned zone or clinic. If you move zones but do not update IGSS, you keep getting cited at the old clinic. Update at any delegation.
Official Resources
- IGSS Contact Center: 1522 (free from within Guatemala) — appointments, questions, emergencies
- Main PBX: 2412-1224 / 2297-1224
- Central address: 7a. Avenida 22-72 Zona 1, Guatemala City
- Portal Afiliado IGSS — check contributions, certificates
- Main site: igssgt.org
Related IGSS Pages
- Spanish IGSS Hub — full Spanish-language hub
- IVS Pension Program — the other central program
- Worker Initial Affiliation — first formal job
- Medical Appointment IGSS — step-by-step booking
- IGSS Incapacity — illness subsidy
- IGSS Maternity — 84-day paid leave
- CAMIP Pensioners — medical care for retirees
- Voluntary Affiliate IGSS — for non-salaried workers
- Contribution Calculator — calculate your deduction
- Healthcare Guatemala — full healthcare system overview