Lake Chapala Ajijic Mexico Information

Health Care in México

Are the following statements true or false?
1. I plan to live full-time in Mexico.
2. I am firmly committed long-term living in Mexico.
3. I do not have a pre-existing medical condition or age that would make it impossible (or impractical) to change to a new insurance plan.

If any of these statements is false, you may want to keep your present insurance and Medicare Part B. Medicare will not cover you in Mexico except under very special circumstances. Your private insurance plan may or may not provide coverage in Mexico. Some plans will reimburse you for medical expenses while in Mexico after you file the necessary paper work. You may find it easier to self-insure for minor things while in Mexico, return NoB for major things, and contract with a Med Evac service to fly you back NoB for emergencies.

If all of the statements are true, you may still wish to look north for major medical needs. However, many (most?) ex-pats integrate their health care with the rest of their Mexican life. To do this you will need to choose some of these options.

1. Self-insure. Office visits and routine tests are so inexpensive that paying these things out of pocket is practical. Major medical/hospitalization can also be covered by self-insurance, although most people choose to have insurance for that.

2. Buy a private insurance plan for Mexico. Major medical/hospitalization insurance is much cheaper in Mexico – sometimes as little as 20% of the cost in the USA.

3. Buy IMSS insurance. If you live in an area with a major IMSS facility, you may wish to consider this very inexpensive option.

4. Drop Medicare Part B. If you are committed to health care in Mexico, you can save several hundred dollars per year by dropping Part B. An item in the “Voices of Experience” explains why this may be a bad idea. I dropped Part B. Thus far the money saved has more than paid for my self-insurance and drugs.

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