15 Expats Talk about Health Insurance and Healthcare in Mexico

"Healthcare services in Mexico are provided by both public and private institutions. The public healthcare system is known as the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) and is funded by the government. It provides basic medical services to Mexican citizens and permanent residents, including preventive care, diagnosis, and treatment. The quality of public healthcare in Mexico is generally considered to be good, although there are some areas where it is lacking. Foreign residents do not have access to the public healthcare system, but they can purchase private health insurance to cover medical expenses. Expats in Mexico typically use private healthcare services, although some may opt to use the public system if they are eligible," remarked one expat living in Mexico.

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

"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," mentioned one expat in Tijuana.

"Medical care is readily available in our area and we have a very nice private hospital called Hospitan. Another private hospital - not as well equipped - CostaMed. The doctors all speak English and as we have Global Health insurance, we have the option to choose any hospital or doctor we wish. Private hospitals are really the only way to go if you expect the type of facilities and services that you would receive in the United States. As Playa Del Carmen is a smaller community, many times you will need to go to Cancun for specific needs. They have several private hospitals - Galenia, a larger Hospitan. If you have a chronic medical condition you might want to check with either hospital to make sure that the resources you will need are available," commented one expat who moved to Playa Del Carmen, 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.

"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 who moved to Coatepec.

"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," commented one expat who moved to Monterrey.

"Emergency services in Mexico are generally reliable and efficient. In the event of an emergency, you can call 066 for an ambulance. This is a free service and the operator will be able to direct you to the nearest hospital or medical facility. The ambulance will be equipped with medical personnel and the necessary equipment to provide medical assistance. In some cases, the ambulance may also be able to provide transportation to the hospital," mentioned one expat in Mexico.

"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.

"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," remarked one expat living in Puerto Vallarta.

"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. ," commented one person.

"Tequisquiapan has a NUMBER of private hospitals. I cannot tell you about them as I travel TO QUERETARO for my health issues. I live in Tequisquiapan, Queretaro. For an expat, myself, I found myself unfortunately over the past 2 years needing healthcare. 1. Shoulder surgery 2. I was "found" by the ONLY venomous spider in all of Mexico and 3. I fell in Costco in Queretaro slipping on water on the floor and broke my hip. I have Medicare in the USA but it does you NO GOOD in Mexico. Period. Call me jaded but i cannot see paying for 2 health insurances at the same time. I am seriously considering stopping Medicare (after 3 years here) as it is useless here and why waste $200 a month? ," said one expat living in Queretaro City and Tequisquiapan.

"The bulk of people I have met getting medical care in Tijuana live in the US and travel to receive their care. Tijuana, as a large border town is easy to get to and has many Doctors and dentists. People don't generally care to be evacuated to go to a country with worse care. I no longer go there now that my major dental issue is over, and now that I have moved to a more distant place," remarked one expat living in Tijuana.

"If I had the option, and I DO because I have international health insurance, I am covered in the US as well as anywhere in the world. Without a doubt, if physically possible, I would go to the US for anything major. If I was unable to travel back to the US, many people use the faculties in Cancun and Merida simply due to the fact that these are more populated areas and as a result have better equipped hospitals," said one expat living in Playa Del Carmen.

"This is a bit long, but you asked and I wish I had known before all of this happened to me. I have been in 3 hospitals (PRIVATE) in Queretaro. 1 for shoulder in Juraquilla and 2 in Qro. proper. ALL were extremely up to date, clean and better than the last on in Texas I had to go to. The staff of Dr's is amazing. ALL of my Dr's have spoken English, which is good because my Spanish is poco! 1. a good orthopedic surgeon 2. a good Internist! When I was extremely ill, and not knowing why, and my little housekeeper saying I had to go to a Dr., I ended up calling a friend in Qro. and she helped with finding me an English speaking Internist. Little did i know he is an amazing Professor that has taught most all of my other Dr.s. This was when we found the spider bite and i was immediately admitted into San Jose Hospital in Queretaro. I was there for 7 days with multiple IV, Oxygen etc. Private room. I ended up with a team of 7 Dr's. I had no idea about this spider nor how bad it is. I have been told I was lucky to be alive. The ONLY thing at San Jose was I was a single woman and thy kept hounding me about WHO was going to take care of me and How was I going to pay? They expect some family member to stay with you 24/7. I told them that wasn't going to happen unless it was one of my 4 legged dogs. They weren't too sure about that and we DID have a big go round about this when they started yelling at one of my visitors as to why they weren't there to take care of me. Be forewarned! So I had a 'team' of Dr.'s that all speak English in place. I had talked to another Orthopedist last fall when I found a 'hole' left by CEA in front of my house. So when I fell, I pretty much knew where I wanted to go, and where my Dr's were all located. BIG THING before they will look at you or admit you, you usually have to put up a deposit of $10,000 pesos.($500 usd). But, you will be refunded what you do not use. Emergency room fee (also included my Ambulance ride) and you can call your Dr you want to see you. I ended up with X-rays, an CT scan. My Dr. came and I was in surgery at 9 pm and even had my anesthesiologist (I see 2 times a year for pain injection management for my shoulder Dr. in Texas screwed up) HOSPITAL H plus is where I wanted to go. Clean, all my Dr's in one place. The ONLY thing I have an issue with is for a major surgery (plate and 6 screws) they only kept me 2 days then sent me "home". There are ** NO REHAB FACILITIES *** fortunately I had a Mexican family to look after me in their home for the next 8 weeks. Since then I have Physical Therapist that come to MY home to give therapy. Would I return to USA for medical Care. Everyone is different. But NO, honestly I feel my Dr's, each and every one are better than what I had in the USA! They are compassionate, very well educated - some even in USA and then come back to Mx to practice. Everyone is different and expects different ...... I am a Nurse by trade so I am very picky. Summary: The issues I have I've stated above. 1. They want someone of your family to stay with you in hospital for your care. ( That is what a nurse is getting paid to do, tell them that!) 2. No Rehab facilities. 3. Prices are CHEAP at private hospitals compared to USA. AND, watch out for Violinista Spiders. ," mentioned one expat in Queretaro City and Tequisquiapan.

"Common prescriptions in the US do not require prescriptions in Mexico. There is an abundance of pharmacies everywhere in Mexico. Prices can vary greatly so it pays to shop around. Similares Pharmacies only offer generic brands and offer a further discount on Mondays. In general the cost of medicine is much cheaper in Mexico. All antibiotics require a prescription. ," remarked one expat in Playa Del Carmen.

"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. ," remarked one expat living in Tijuana.

"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," said one expat living in Mexico.

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

"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," commented one expat who moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

"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," mentioned one expat in Playa Del Carmen.

"Medical facilities and care in Mexico vary greatly depending on location and type of healthcare provider. Generally speaking, there are good quality hospitals and clinics throughout the country that provide comprehensive medical care. The quality of government-funded public healthcare can vary, however, those with access to private care receive satisfactory treatment from healthcare professionals. Mexico also has a large number of highly qualified specialists that can provide top-notch care in many critical areas of medicine. In addition, the country has access to cutting-edge technology and treatments," commented one expat who moved to 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," remarked one expat living in Puerto Penasco.

"I am very close to the many pharmacies for medicines. Also there are bi-lingual doctors' offices in many places downtown. There are several hospitals nearby within a few miles. I have heard that the quality of care is very good. But, I have not had personal experience yet, thank goodness," commented one person.

"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," said one expat living in Merida.

"I believe there is a public healthcare system for Mexican citizens, but I don't think it covers foreigners. Most people I have met seeking Mexican medical care travel to Mexico either because they can't afford care in the US or are seeking treatment that is inferior in the US. Most are paying out of pocket rather than through insurance, as Mexican care often costs less than the insurance would cost. Most visit clinics rather than hospitals, by researching the individual practitioners. Thus I have heard little about the quality of hospital care," mentioned one expat in Tijuana.

"Suffered a ruptured lung requiring surgery. treatment was outstanding and affordable," remarked 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," remarked one expat living in Mexico.