RE: Health Emergency Information - Rio
Before you travel, check with your health insurance carrier to find out if you're covered abroad. Some U.S. insurers, like Blue Cross or Kaiser, do cover you when you're traveling. Others don't, so you may want to take out a travel health insurance policy before leaving the country. The same applies to non-U.S. travelers. You also may want to consider signing up for emergency medical evacuation insurance. Yours truly is covered by Medjet, at http://www.medjetassistance.com They offer a variety of plans, depending on how much you travel and how long you stay abroad. It's reasonable and provides a lot of peace of mind!
In Rio, many people think the best bet for any non-emergency problems is the Rio Health Collective, Banco Nacional building (room 303), Av. das Américas 4430, Barra de Tijuca; a non-profit-making organization, its phone-in service (tel 021/3325-9300 ext. 44) is free, and provides names of qualified professionals who speak foreign languages. Of course, Barra is pretty far out for those staying in Copacabana, but the Health Collective should have names of physicians in Copacabana or Ipanema/Leblon that will be closer to where you're staying. Alternatively, your consulate should have a list of professionals who speak an appropriate language. The U.S. consulate in Rio has such a list available online, although it's a bit difficult to find. Go to http://www.embaixada-americana.org.br, then select the consulate in Rio (or wherever you're located), then "U.S. Citizen Services", then "other services" and finally "list of hospitals/doctors."
In case of an emergency, probably your best bet is to take a taxi directly to the Copa d'Or Hospital on r. Figueiredo Magalhães. It's considered one of the best private hospitals in Rio, it has emergency services, and it's closer than other hospitals you'll see listed.
Hope you'll never need this information, but better safe than sorry!