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Expat Exchange - If I retire in Mexico, am I eligible for universal healthcare?
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If I retire in Mexico, am I eligible for universal healthcare?

By Betsy Burlingame

Welcome Home Mexico
Welcome Home Mexico

Summary: Expats often ask... If I retire in Mexico, am I eligible for universal healthcare? Here's the answer...

Yes, retirees with a resident visa are eligible to enroll in Seguro Popular, the healthcare option for non-working people. You may also be eligible to pay into the IMSS system.

"Your options would be to pay out of pocket for routine doctor visits & medications, as most do anyway, and to enroll in either IMSS or Seguro Popular, get established with them, and stay enrolled for emergency hospitalization in the public hospitals; a triaged, socialized system. IMSS has fees and will exclude previous conditions. Seguro Popular is usually free for seniors who rent, for example, and has no exclusions. Quality in the public systems can vary widely. Private care is excellent in the larger cities, often superior to the USA," described one expat.

Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) is Mexico's Social Security Institute. If you are retired and wish to enroll in IMSS, you may be eligible to pay into the system. However, visa status (permanent resident visas are preferred, temporary resident visas are sometimes acceptable), pre-existing conditions and age are all factors in eligibility under IMSS. Expats typically pay $300-400 per year for IMSS coverage.

Seguro Popular (SP) is not typically recommended as the primary healthcare option for foreigners living in Mexico. But, some expats have found it to be life saver and fully understand that it comes with long waits, no-frill hospital stays and other challenges.

About the Author

Betsy Burlingame Betsy Burlingame is the Founder and President of Expat Exchange and is one of the Founders of Digital Nomad Exchange. She launched Expat Exchange in 1997 as her Master's thesis project at NYU. Prior to Expat Exchange, Betsy worked at AT&T in International and Mass Market Marketing. She graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a BA in International Business and German.

Some of Betsy's articles include 12 Best Places to Live in Portugal, 7 Best Places to Live in Panama and 12 Things to Know Before Moving to the Dominican Republic. Betsy loves to travel and spend time with her family. Connect with Betsy on LinkedIn.


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