Expat Healthcare & Health Insurance in Monterrey, Mexico

It depends on finances and age. If you're a professional moving to Mexico for business reasons, then you'll no doubt be given a private insurance plan. For those still young, private insurance is cheaper than in the USA but still ultimately unaffordable.

Those working for public or private sector employers should automatically be enlisted in the IMSS which is our national system free to the user. Roughy equivalent to the UK's NHS, if you need something major it is excellent. For minor problems you may care to go private.

Besides the IMSS, if you're not working you can enroll in the govenment's Seguro Popular system which is probably a bit inferior to the IMSS but again will protect you against major events.

Next, I recommend paying monthly to subscribe to a private ambulance/outpatient service such as EMME. The price is reasonable and they come quickly with a fully equipped ambulance and medical team. They also have an outpatient walk-in centre open until late.

Most pharmacies have an attached doctor available during work hours (sometimes morning only) and you can get a quick consultation either free or at insignificant cost - very useful if you need an antibiotic because these need a prescription now.

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.

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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.

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.