15 Expats Talk about Health Insurance and Healthcare in Mexico

"Although I have met people having care for serious conditions, my experience has only been dental. People I know who had the same procedure done just across the border in San Diego had side effects I did not experience with my Mexican dentist," remarked one expat in Tijuana.

"Be sure to have travel insurance... helps to speak Spanish to communicate more freely with the caregivers, however someone there will speak English," remarked one expat living in Puerto Vallarta.

"I avoid cut-and-drug as much as possible and take responsibility for the key aspects of health: eating wisely and exercising. If I don't do those things, what can anyone do for me? What I do no t like about the government health program that I joined is that doctors have the same reliance on drugs as in the US. I have not had hospital care, but friends who have report excellent care. I would like to start a movement to ban Coca Cola and other diabetes-inducing "foods." And I would like to see more attention paid to use of traditional medicinal plants, which are widely available in Mexico," commented one expat living in Coatepec, Mexico.

"Medical services in Mexico vary depending on the region. Generally, the country has a wide range of medical facilities, including public and private hospitals, clinics, and medical centers. Many of these facilities offer quality care and modern medical technology. In addition, Mexico has a number of specialized medical centers that provide specialized care for specific conditions. Mexico also has a number of medical tourism destinations, where people from other countries can receive medical care at a lower cost than in their home countries," wrote one expat.

"Excellent. I have had open heart surgery in the national system, I was diagnosed promptly and the level of care was as good or better as that in the USA, More recently I broke a bone in my foot and was X-Rayed, diagnosed, and treated in less than 90 minutes. Level of service significantly better than in the UK. And all free of charge," wrote one expat.

"Medicare and supplements are only of use within the US except for certain life threatening emergencies when traveling. If you have substantial financial resources and a high respect for the health services in major cities you can pay for private care. Most insurance in MX will not cover preexisting conditions and the premiums are out of reach, especially for people over 70 or so. Staying connected with doctors and hospitals in the US is the most logical thing for us, we make several trips a year to see our doctors but are prepared to pay for care here in MX as needed," commented one expat who moved to Merida.

"I only have Medicare part A. It is pretty much useless stateside or elsewhere. For a time I purchase dental insurance but gave it up because it's cost was higher than the cost of the care I received," said one expat.

"Unfortunately, when I moved abroad I was hit by a taxi. I was taken to a public hospital. That experience was life changing... I had never seen the conditions that I saw there - bathrooms with no soap or tp - group recovery rooms - disorder. I immediately realized the importance of have PRIVATE health insurance, and went on a mission to find suitable insurance for my family. As we love to travel I found insurance that allows us to be covered ANYWHERE in the WORLD including the US - at a fraction of the price we were paying when living in the US. We can choose ANY HOSPITAL OR DOCTOR that we wish. The policy is in English, the office is located in Playa Del Carmen with courtesy translation service, and there is an in-claims department, finally they are partnered with an international law firm. I felt that was soooo important to myself and my expat friends, that I asked for a job selling this insurance. I have been retired for 15 years, but got into this business because it is something that I feel passionate about and know that all my expat friends need," remarked one expat in Playa Del Carmen.

"I live about 10 minutes from the hospital zone which is crammed with care facilities of every kind. One of the best is the Muguerza. There are many. Care is as good as anywhere in the world. The national system has specialist hospitals such as maternity, skeletal, cardiac, etc," remarked one expat living in Monterrey.

"I know of 3 hospitals in the area. Mexico General, Angeles Hosp. and Hospital Mexico are the ones I have heard of and I think 2 of them are public with nobody I have met telling horror stories, but I have not been to a hospital since the 80s and have not idea how one would get an ambulance. ," said one expat living in Tijuana.

"We live in PV 6 months of the year in our condo there and are just a 5 minute walk from 2 private first rate hospitals, Medasist and CMQ in downtown Puerto Vallarta. You can literally walk in and be seen immediately by a doctor in Emergency. I was admitted for 2 days in 2015 for bronchitis. I had a large private room with a window, couch, large bathroom and everything was absolutely spotless and shining clean... floors etc. Nurses uniforms new and clean also. I speak Spanish so I was able to communicate with all my caregivers. The food was excellent, delicious actually. The lady at the front desk, who was also in charge of activating insurance quickly and efficiently coordinated with my insurance provider so that I was not out of pocket at all in the admission stage where they normally ask for a credit card. I was recommend insisting at this stage that the hospital contact your insurance company to take care of all costs or you will end up paying something and having to claim it back. For a 2 day stay, my bill was around $2355 USD," mentioned one expat in Puerto Vallarta.

"Again,the best hospitals are PRIVATE - CostaMed and Hospitan. They are both located on the main highway that runs between Tulum and Cancun. In case of an emergency you simply dial "911". Of course, depending on your emergency, a patient may be brought to one of the hospitals mentioned above until stabilized and possibly moved to Cancun -where there are larger facilities and more medical equipment," commented one expat who moved to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

"There are many specialists in Puerto Vallarta and you can usually make an appointment within 2 days and the cost is about 500 pesos (less than $50)," wrote one expat.

"Pretty much. Cheaper than USA costs and many different pharmacies. Guadalajara and Aahorra," remarked one expat in Queretaro City and Tequisquiapan.

"Yes, common prescription medications are available in Mexico. Many of the same medications that are available in the United States are also available in Mexico, although they may be sold under different brand names. In addition, some medications that are not available in the United States may be available in Mexico. It is important to note that some medications may require a prescription from a Mexican doctor, while others may be available over the counter," remarked one expat living in Mexico.

"The farmacias have a huge stock of remedies. Most are fairly inexpensive. Many don't require a prescription. Others do. The only one I had difficulty finding required visiting 6 farmacias but the usual experience is finding what you need on the 1st try. ," said one expat living in Tijuana.

"Farmacia Guadalajara is a chain, so you are reasonably sure of the quality of the drugs and since their prices are standardized, chain-wise, you are reasonably sure that you are not paying the gringo price at one of the tourist pharmacies. Many common drugs available. Also Freddy's on Olas Altas," mentioned one expat in Puerto Vallarta.

"Most medicines are available without a prescription except for psychotropic and antibiotics. Generic medicines are freely available, this means that medicines in general cost a fraction of the price you'd be charged in, say, the USA," commented one expat who moved to Monterrey, Mexico.

"3 miles, there are 2, there is a Red Cross ambulance 2 blocks from my house and the fire dept (Bomberos) ambulance is 3 blocks away, we have a 911 system," said one expat living in Puerto Penasco.

"All hospitals and clinics are 10-15 minutes from any point in the city. Many. many medical options to choose from. They have both public, which might be a long wait, and private, substantially below USA costs," mentioned one expat in Merida.

"We have one major private hospital in Playa. This is a really important thing to me as the public hospitals are not up to par with what expats are accustomed to coming from the US, Canada or Europe. The care is really outstanding in the private hospitals with most doctors speaking fluent English. They are also required to have an additional level of training to be able to work in a private hospital. I have been retired for 15 years but I actually sell international health insurance to expats which allows us to use ANY PRIVATE hospital or doctor in the world. I got involved in this because I was hit by a taxi cab about 15 years ago while traveling and ended up in a public hospital. The conditions were so bad - no soap or toilet paper in the bathrooms - 50 people in a group room..... I never wanted to be in that situation ever again. That was when I went quest for international health insurance. It is something critical to have," commented one expat who moved to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

"I have no idea. Getting to a Dr. in Tequisquiapan is easy. You just ask someone where a good Dr. is and that is where you go. The best Drs are at their private hospitals," commented one expat who moved to Queretaro City and Tequisquiapan.

"Suffered a ruptured lung requiring surgery. treatment was outstanding and affordable," mentioned one expat in Xcalak.

"The pandemic has had a significant impact on the healthcare system in Mexico. Access to healthcare has been limited due to the closure of many medical facilities, and the availability of medical supplies and personnel has been reduced. Additionally, the cost of medical care has increased, making it difficult for many people to access the care they need. Despite these challenges, the Mexican government has taken steps to ensure that the healthcare system remains functional, including providing financial support to medical facilities and increasing the availability of telemedicine services," commented one expat who moved to Mexico.