# Health Insurance-Locals



## Souper (Nov 2, 2011)

Lately I've been reading about locals who need medical care but don't have coverage or money to pay for it.
Can someone explain the government health coverage plans? I thought everyone had coverage but I must be wrong.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Souper said:


> Lately I've been reading about locals who need medical care but don't have coverage or money to pay for it.
> Can someone explain the government health coverage plans? I thought everyone had coverage but I must be wrong.


There are two:

IMSS (Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social) - Mostly people get this through their job with fees paid by their employer, although it is possible to subscribe individually and pay an annual fee. Even some expatriates do that. Once enrolled, there are no copays or charges for drugs.

Seguro Popular - Available without a fee to everyone who is not covered by IMSS.


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## Souper (Nov 2, 2011)

So I wonder is Seguro Popular coverage inferior or limited?

Why do I see people requesting funds for treatment?

Is coverage only available at limited hospitals?


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

>>So I wonder is Seguro Popular coverage inferior or limited?
Limited, yes. Inferior depends on the location and your needs.

>>Why do I see people requesting funds for treatment?
There are different levels assigned to members according to a "socio-economic" study that they do. Higher levels require more payment.

>>Is coverage only available at limited hospitals? 
Yes.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Souper said:


> So I wonder is Seguro Popular coverage inferior or limited?
> 
> Why do I see people requesting funds for treatment?
> 
> Is coverage only available at limited hospitals?


I believe Seguro Popular care is both inferior and more limited, yes. But, I don't know the details. According to one source I found, IMSS used to expend 5 times as much money per patient. Apparently, that ratio has declined in recent years. Seguro Popular relies entirely on government funding and has less money to use for patient care than IMSS which gets government funding, employer contributions, and some individual contributions.

I should have added that there is also ISSSTE which provides health care to government employees.

I would be happy if someone who knew more details would chime in. My knowledge is pretty sketchy. I know more about IMSS because I have subscribed to it. My knowledge of Seguro Popular is limited to a very brief conversation with the lady who cleans my house and gets her health care from SP.


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## dongringo (Dec 13, 2010)

As a ****** you can inscribe yourself to seguro popular once a year (I think). The coverage sucks, same, as any public insurance provision like IMSS. There are private insurance plans like with ING, but without deductibles they are almost equvalent in cost to US plans.

Of course, the trick is not to get sick, but if you do, plan to have enough money to pay for your care, because those damn doctors in seguro popular or IMSS will only attend you when they feel like it.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

dongringo said:


> As a ****** you can inscribe yourself to seguro popular once a year (I think). The coverage sucks, same, as any public insurance provision like IMSS. There are private insurance plans like with ING, but without deductibles they are almost equvalent in cost to US plans.
> 
> Of course, the trick is not to get sick, but if you do, plan to have enough money to pay for your care, because those damn doctors in seguro popular or IMSS will only attend you when they feel like it.


That has not been my experience.


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## FHBOY (Jun 15, 2010)

TundraGreen said:


> That has not been my experience.


Last year when this discussion came up, we learned that IMSS is getting more strict about who they will allow to enroll. Has anyone had experience with that and of been accepted/rejected by IMSS?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

FHBOY said:


> Last year when this discussion came up, we learned that IMSS is getting more strict about who they will allow to enroll. Has anyone had experience with that and of been accepted/rejected by IMSS?


My experience. 

I enrolled for the first time in mid 2010. I did not have to get a physical. I got the usual list of things not covered for the first 6 months and a year. In 2011, I neglected to pay before coverage expired. So I had to reapply as a new registrant. I did so again with no physical. Thankfully, they stamped my record unrestricted, so I did not have to go through the exclusion again. It is about to come up for renewal. This time I am planning to renew on time. Starting from scratch is a hassle.


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## sunnyvmx (Mar 14, 2010)

Last year I was rejected from applying to IMSS for being single. Beginning of this year I suffered a burst appendix. The small hospital in Catemaco sent me to the general hospital in San Andres. It was no frills at best. After three days of indecision as to what was the problem between two surgeons and my doctor, I pulled the tube out of my nose and arm and went home. Three days later and nearly dead, my friends here had located the best Dr. in Mexico in San Andres and sent me by ambulance to his office for an ultrasound. He said I had no appendix and get me to the private hospital. He operated on me three hrs. later and saved my life. I wore a bag for a month and then had the second surgery to reconnect my intestines after the infection was gone and they were healed since some had to be removed. I know my Dr. does surgeries at the gov't hospitals, but I will continue to use the private hospital and private Drs. I can live here on my SS and will use my savings for medical costs. It's the right decision for me. I am fortunate that other than this episode I am in excellent health.


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## trpt2345 (Jan 15, 2012)

dongringo said:


> As a ****** you can inscribe yourself to seguro popular once a year (I think). The coverage sucks, same, as any public insurance provision like IMSS. There are private insurance plans like with ING, but without deductibles they are almost equvalent in cost to US plans.
> 
> Of course, the trick is not to get sick, but if you do, plan to have enough money to pay for your care, because those damn doctors in seguro popular or IMSS will only attend you when they feel like it.


This is completely untrue in my experience. My wife and I both have IMSS coverage we paid for ourselves (she is a Mexican citizen, I am eligible because of her). About 2000 pesos a year each. We see our doctor once a month, next Monday in fact. Service is efficient, competent, complete and after the yearly fee completely free. No co-pays or deductibles for medications. I don't know where you live but in Morelia I have found IMSS to be just as good and way less expensive than what we had in the states where I paid $800 a month and another couple hundred a month in co-pays. It was more than our mortgage.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

My wife and I, (70 and 65 years old respectively), consider ourselves locals as we are permanent residents after living here for eleven years and soon intend to become citizens. We never signed up for IMSS back when we arrived in 2001 and are today pleased with that decision as the program ( which is reported to be bankrupt) has problems in both places we live in Mexico. In San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, the always crowded, frenetic and, from outward appearances, somewhat primitive IMSS facility is, to say the least uninviting at best. In the other community in which we reside, Chapala, Jalisco, which has a large expat population, IMSS has been making it more and more difficult for foreigners to avail themselves of IMSS services if what we read on internet forums is true. On the other hand, some posters on the same forums speak highly of IMSS in the greater Guadalajara area in which Chapala is on the periphery. 

I am not writing this to criticize IMSS or Seguro Popular but just to enlighten those of you who have never explored the alternative of private major medical insurance as to the costs and benefits of private insurance. Keep in mind that private major medical insurance may be harder to come by if you are 70years old as am I. We signed up with our insurance company years ago when I was 60 and my wife was 55. While our policy states that we can never be dropped from coverage, the premiums, of couse, increase with age. From what I say below, you can get some idea as to what your costs and coverage may be by the time you reach mid-60s to 70 if you elected coverage at an age where you were eligible and decided to seek out private major medical coverage with nationwide applicability in all of Mexico and limited international emergency coverage.

In Mexico, our policies include coverage at the finest hospitals in the area in which sought which means private rooms in the very best hospitals of our choice and among the very best physicians in the community. In Guadalajara that means well-appointed private rooms and top physicians. In Chiapas, the private hospitals are not as nice but policy holders have the option of local care or medical evacuation to places such as Mexico City, Guadalajara or Monterrey.

At our ages of 70 and 65 respectively, we renewed our major medical policies with AXA, a major international company, for an aggregate annual premium of $67,300 MXN, the equivalent these days, of about $5,000USD. Over time that comes to about $400USD a month. At the time we retired and left Californa for Mexico in 2000, we were offered COBRA coverage at $800USD a month for HMO services, not private coverage of our chouce, and I am sure today that would be at least $1,000USD per month. 

Here is what you get for that cost:
*Unlimited major medical coverage for all claims at hospitals and with physicians of your choice.
* $30,000 MXN deductible (about $2,000USD)
* Emergency medical treatment worldwide to $50,000USDmainly to get you back to Mexico.

This sort of coverage isn´t suitable for everyone and is really meant as protection against the catastrophic costs of a major illness not for ordinary doctor visits or minor illnesses. It is also meant to get one into private rooms in the best hospitals in town We also pay for all of our regular medications on an ongoing basis although we have coverage for excessive costs of regular medications prescribed. 

By the way, I have utilized this policy to have my gall bladder removed on an emergency basis in 2008 in Chiapas where the hospials are not so nice but thank God I had coverage. 

There you have an alternatve to IMSS, Seguro Popular or self-coverage out of your own pocket.


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## stilltraveling (May 7, 2012)

Souper said:


> Lately I've been reading about locals who need medical care but don't have coverage or money to pay for it.
> Can someone explain the government health coverage plans? I thought everyone had coverage but I must be wrong.


Everyone is covered, but it depends on their condition and what type of treatment they need. Obviously, the government programs do not cover everything. When one pays for private health services, the hospital is more than willing to throw anything and everything at a condition even when the chance of a cure is one in a million (so long as the patient can keep paying). The public insurance schemes don't have that luxury. 

IMSS is insurance provided by an employer-government plan that covers workers and their families (including parents of workers). 
ISSSTE is similar, but only covers government workers. 
Seguro Popular is the most spartan of all the systems. It covers anyone and everyone, though the menu of services offered is limited as are the resources. 

There are smaller programs for PEMEX and SEDENA (military) workers and families. 

The current Secretary of Health has been integrating all the systems with the ultimate goal of providing universal coverage for everyone in every facility. Needless to say, there is resistance to such an integration by those who have better coverage (PEMEX and ISSSTE members don't want to have to share their facilities with the poor Seguro Popular members), but the integration is underway nonetheless. The goal is to have a NHS-type system by 2020.


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## stilltraveling (May 7, 2012)

trpt2345 said:


> This is completely untrue in my experience. My wife and I both have IMSS coverage we paid for ourselves (she is a Mexican citizen, I am eligible because of her). About 2000 pesos a year each. We see our doctor once a month, next Monday in fact. Service is efficient, competent, complete and after the yearly fee completely free. No co-pays or deductibles for medications. I don't know where you live but in Morelia I have found IMSS to be just as good and way less expensive than what we had in the states where I paid $800 a month and another couple hundred a month in co-pays. It was more than our mortgage.


IMSS is very good in most places, not so good in others. The entire system is undergoing an overhaul, so if the service is bad in a particular area it's probably because the reforms haven't been implemented in that region yet.


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## stilltraveling (May 7, 2012)

Souper said:


> So I wonder is Seguro Popular coverage inferior or limited?
> 
> Why do I see people requesting funds for treatment?
> 
> Is coverage only available at limited hospitals?


Seguro Popular is limited, though not nearly as limited as it was 5 years ago. They have a menu of conditions and treatments that are covered. That menu is not all-inclusive, though it is growing every year. Last year they even added organ transplants to the services that are covered. 

The current Secretary of Health, whom I've had the honor of working with, is a hyper-genius who is implementing a national health system that wouldn't have been imaginable 20 years ago in Mexico. It's going to take time, but so far everything is on schedule. Expect to see something similar to the UK's NHS fully implemented by the end of this decade.


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## Souper (Nov 2, 2011)

stilltraveling said:


> Seguro Popular is limited, though not nearly as limited as it was 5 years ago. They have a menu of conditions and treatments that are covered. That menu is not all-inclusive, though it is growing every year. Last year they even added organ transplants to the services that are covered.
> 
> The current Secretary of Health, whom I've had the honor of working with, is a hyper-genius who is implementing a national health system that wouldn't have been imaginable 20 years ago in Mexico. It's going to take time, but so far everything is on schedule. Expect to see something similar to the UK's NHS fully implemented by the end of this decade.


I see locals asking for money to cover injuries from car accidents and heart surgery, etc. I don't know if they want better treatment or their condition is not covered.


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## mickisue1 (Mar 10, 2012)

Souper said:


> I see locals asking for money to cover injuries from car accidents and heart surgery, etc. I don't know if they want better treatment or their condition is not covered.


Is it possible that they're requesting money for the costs of daily living that can't be earned while one is recovering from a major accident or surgery?


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## August55 (Jul 29, 2012)

Being new to the forum please forgive my ignorance. I wonder if anyone can explain how pre existing conditions are treated in Mexico when applying for health insurance. I have heard some parts of Mexico have excellent health care (Merida comes to mind). Is there a resource I should check before I make my leap to move to Mexico? I am a retiree and rely on Medicare and my retirement income.


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## stilltraveling (May 7, 2012)

Souper said:


> I see locals asking for money to cover injuries from car accidents and heart surgery, etc. I don't know if they want better treatment or their condition is not covered.


Not sure what kind of orthopedic injury isn't covered. Are these the 1-2% that still don't have Seguro Popular? I know the Red Cross tries to recover some of their costs when they treat accidents, but even then it's minimal. 

SP does do a means study on each patient for them to cover some of the costs of implanted hardware (which can run into the thousands of dollars for some pieces), though if they're to the point of having to beg in the streets for money they certainly didn't show enough income on the means test to have to pay anything. 

It's hard to say why these people are in the situation they're in. It may be that they just don't know about Seguro Popular. Some people have fallen through the cracks, but there's no reason why they cannot be picked up even with a preexisting condition.


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## stilltraveling (May 7, 2012)

August55 said:


> Being new to the forum please forgive my ignorance. I wonder if anyone can explain how pre existing conditions are treated in Mexico when applying for health insurance. I have heard some parts of Mexico have excellent health care (Merida comes to mind). Is there a resource I should check before I make my leap to move to Mexico? I am a retiree and rely on Medicare and my retirement income.


Private insurance treats preexisting conditions just like they do in the States. The public insurance plans do not have any restrictions on preexisting conditions.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

stilltraveling said:


> Private insurance treats preexisting conditions just like they do in the States. The public insurance plans do not have any restrictions on preexisting conditions.


IMSS excludes coverage of some things for awhile after you first sign up:

6 months - 
Breast cancer

10 months - 
Child birth

1 year - 
Kidney stones
Surgery for gynecology problems, except cancers
Surgery for vein insufficiencies
Surgery for sinus problems
Surgery for varicose veins
Hemorrhoids
Tonsil and adenoid removal
Surgery for hernia
Bunion surgery
Surgery for strabismus (eye alignment)

2 years - 
Orthopedic surgery


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## Mellowmarsh3 (Jul 15, 2012)

I'm also married to a Mexican although we have been living in The U.S. for 5yrs. We are planning to move to Cuernavaca next year. Can you expand on your comment that you are eligible for IMSS because of her. 

My wife is not currently enrolled in IMSS but thinks that she can enroll when we get to Mexico and I will be covered because of her Mexican citizenship. She doesn't think I need to take a physical, etc. - I should be automatically eligible.

My main concern - I have high blood pressure - I'm reading in some of these post that this may be considered a pre-existing condition that may disqualify me. Do you have any knowledge or insight as to whether, if at all, her citizenship may figure into this?? 

Tanks a lot,
Marshall


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## August55 (Jul 29, 2012)

tundragreen said:


> imss excludes coverage of some things for awhile after you first sign up:
> 
> 6 months -
> breast cancer
> ...


how do you find out about other pre exisiting condition exclusions?? Is there a web site or an office to contact to determine what conditions are not covered at all?? Thank you so much for this information.


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## Mellowmarsh3 (Jul 15, 2012)

August55 said:


> how do you find out about other pre exisiting condition exclusions?? Is there a web site or an office to contact to determine what conditions are not covered at all?? Thank you so much for this information.


Here's two websites to follow that will at least give you some idea of what's covered, waiting periods, etc. I'm not allowed to post the complete URLs yet because I don't have 4 posts but if you Google Mex Connect and Med to go- you should be able to explore those sites until you find the correct articles.

However, as someone noted earlier - IMSS may be administered differently depending on where you apply.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

August55 said:


> how do you find out about other pre exisiting condition exclusions?? Is there a web site or an office to contact to determine what conditions are not covered at all?? Thank you so much for this information.


IMSS does have a web site.

However, the list I quoted is a translation of a list I was given by IMSS in printed form when I enrolled. I suspect any IMS office might have a copy of it. I didn't look for it on the web, but it might be there. The list is one page copied from a legal document it looks like. Article 82 covers pre-existing conditions that can preclude getting coverage at all. Article 83 is the list I posted here. In another thread, I posted the same information plus the permanently excluded conditions listed in Art. 84

For completeness, all three Articles, 82, 83, and 84 are translated here:

Art. 82 Preexisting conditions precluding coverage:
1. complications of late stage diabetes mellitus, Gauchers illness, chronic kidney disease, chronic kidney insufficiency, cardiac valve pathology, cardiac insufficiency, consequences of cardiac isquemia (arrhythmia, pain, myocardia), COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), respiratory among others.
2. systematic chronic infirmities of the connective tissue, alcoholism and other toxicomanias (I like that word better than other drug addictions), mental treatment for psychosis and dementia, congenital infirmities, AIDS and HIV.

Art. 83 Exclusions for time periods
- 6 months 
breast cancer

- 10 months 
pregnancy

- 1 year 
kidney stones
gynecology surgery except tumors
sinus surgery
varicose vein surgery
nasal surgery
variococele surgery (scrotal condition)
hemorrhoids
aenoids
hernias, except herniated disks
hallux valgus surgery (foot and ankle)
strabismus (squinting?)

- 2 years
orthopedic surgery

Art. 84 Permanently not covered
cosmetic surgery
eyeglasses
eye surgery for vision issues
self inflicted conditions, attempted suicide
wounds from professional participation in risky activities
behavioral and learning disorders
dental problems, except cleaning, extractions, and fillings
prostheses
chronic conditions requirement long term therapy
fertility treatment
treatment of consequences of muscle, skeletal, or neurological conditions of traumatic origin acquired earlier and continuing
treatment of degenerative ailments of the central and peripheral nervous systems and of circulation problems acquired earlier and continuing

I apologize for my translations. I can read Spanish pretty well, but am no expert on disease so the vocabulary may not be right. I am a Doctor but with a PhD not an MD and not in any biology/medical field.

PS I also apologize for posting parts of the same information on different threads. We seem to have three IMSS/medical threads going at once and I have gotten confused about what is where.


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## August55 (Jul 29, 2012)

Mellowmarsh3 said:


> Here's two websites to follow that will at least give you some idea of what's covered, waiting periods, etc. I'm not allowed to post the complete URLs yet because I don't have 4 posts but if you Google Mex Connect and Med to go- you should be able to explore those sites until you find the correct articles.
> 
> However, as someone noted earlier - IMSS may be administered differently depending on where you apply.


WOW THANKS SO VERY MUCH for the prompt response!


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## johnmex (Nov 30, 2010)

My first personal experience with the IMSS 20 years ago prompted me to buy private health insurance. I had my first kidney stone at the ripe old age of 25(thanks Dad!). After arriving to Centro Medico(the IMMS headquarters in GDL) and being given an IV and a really hard chair to wait in for 4 hours, I noticed the guy next to me on the floor vomiting blood and no one paying attention to him. I thought...if he isn't getting attention...when will I?

Getting private coverage was, for me, a great decision. Why? About 5 years ago I started getting "something". The something turns out to be APS, a nasty, silent condition that makes your blood form clots and eventually will cause a stroke or heart attack. The system at the IMSS would not have been beneficial in detecting this condition in a timely manner. In fact, we used the IMSS as another option in this diagnosis. I ended up at "Nutrición" , the IMSS flagship hospital in Mexico City. There, after a week of every test (almost!)known to modern medicine, I was diagnosed as having a STD. This diagnosis made my wife (an ENT) very suspicious as she tested negative!

It turns out that APS antibodies will give a false positive on tests for STDs. As this hospital was the pinnacle of the IMSS system, what other choices did I have? Well, my private insurance. We looked for more and better doctors, finally finding a rheumatologist who was very good. He sent me to get a test, ironically at the same IMSS hospital in Mexico City, that the IMSS system "neglected" to order for me (too expensive?). This test confirmed my lack of an STD (duh!).

Now, my APS is controlled with medication, studies are on-going to see if this condition is secondary to something else (say it softly, Lupus) and I really no longer care how much my premiums are because just my yearly medications cost more than the premiums!


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## August55 (Jul 29, 2012)

johnmex said:


> my first personal experience with the imss 20 years ago prompted me to buy private health insurance. I had my first kidney stone at the ripe old age of 25(thanks dad!). After arriving to centro medico(the imms headquarters in gdl) and being given an iv and a really hard chair to wait in for 4 hours, i noticed the guy next to me on the floor vomiting blood and no one paying attention to him. I thought...if he isn't getting attention...when will i?
> 
> Getting private coverage was, for me, a great decision. Why? About 5 years ago i started getting "something". The something turns out to be aps, a nasty, silent condition that makes your blood form clots and eventually will cause a stroke or heart attack. The system at the imss would not have been beneficial in detecting this condition in a timely manner. In fact, we used the imss as another option in this diagnosis. I ended up at "nutrición" , the imss flagship hospital in mexico city. There, after a week of every test (almost!)known to modern medicine, i was diagnosed as having a std. This diagnosis made my wife (an ent) very suspicious as she tested negative!
> 
> ...


thank you for sharing your experience. Good to hear you identified the aps and there is a treatment. It sounds like the message is everywhere a person goes hoping someone/nation is doing it right for everyone and all concievible conditions is just chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I hope things continue to go well with the treatments. 

Bob


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## DHHawkeye (Aug 16, 2012)

johnmex said:


> My first personal experience with the IMSS 20 years ago prompted me to buy private health insurance. I had my first kidney stone at the ripe old age of 25(thanks Dad!). After arriving to Centro Medico(the IMMS headquarters in GDL) and being given an IV and a really hard chair to wait in for 4 hours, I noticed the guy next to me on the floor vomiting blood and no one paying attention to him. I thought...if he isn't getting attention...when will I?
> 
> Getting private coverage was, for me, a great decision. Why? About 5 years ago I started getting "something". The something turns out to be APS, a nasty, silent condition that makes your blood form clots and eventually will cause a stroke or heart attack. The system at the IMSS would not have been beneficial in detecting this condition in a timely manner. In fact, we used the IMSS as another option in this diagnosis. I ended up at "Nutrición" , the IMSS flagship hospital in Mexico City. There, after a week of every test (almost!)known to modern medicine, I was diagnosed as having a STD. This diagnosis made my wife (an ENT) very suspicious as she tested negative!
> 
> ...


I am not sure is we can relay this information on this blog, but how do we find out more about private insurance alternatives or do you have suggestions?


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## mickisue1 (Mar 10, 2012)

August55 said:


> thank you for sharing your experience. Good to hear you identified the aps and there is a treatment. It sounds like the message is everywhere a person goes hoping someone/nation is doing it right for everyone and all concievible conditions is just chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I hope things continue to go well with the treatments.
> 
> Bob


THAT is true.

My sister had great private insurance, and access to some of the best care in the world--literally--the Mayo Clinic is only 70 miles from where she lived. But the rarity of her condition, an autoimmune disorder called Takayashu's arteritis, meant that no one, and I mean no one, could figure out what was going on with her for THREE YEARS.

Three years in which she underwent surgery (at the Mayo) that left her with a nasty infection, and a summer spent with drains and a heparin lock for her at home IV antibiotics. A kidney infection that lasted for 6 months, despite the same at home IV antibiotic routine. 

The condition was identified, in the usual manner for rare diseases: you rule out everything that it could be, but isn't, and all that's left is the thing that it has no business being. And, even then, it only meant that it had a name, because it's chronic, progressive, and has no cure, and very little in the way of treatment.

When the person who's sick is YOU, or someone you love, you want the best of the best of the best. But the reality is that even then, there won't always be good outcomes, and even with the mediocre, the outcomes are so much better than nothing at all.

For many people in the US, both with and without insurance, nothing at all is the default, because the cost of being cared for, with copays and non-covered diseases, as well as non-covered treatments, is so high as to be prohibitive of obtaining the care, even when available.

To know that one has access to care, even if not "the best", is so much better than many in this country have available.

And that's a sin against humanity, in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. For those of you already in MX, and eligible or not for the IMSS, please remember to be grateful that the country where you live has made access to healthcare a priority over profit.


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## cuylers5746 (Mar 19, 2012)

*Seguro Popular & More*



Souper said:


> So I wonder is Seguro Popular coverage inferior or limited?
> 
> Why do I see people requesting funds for treatment?
> 
> Is coverage only available at limited hospitals?


Hi;

The Souper was exactly right. Now it differs a little bit how Seguro Popular is administered from State-State, City-City. Basically it's free service if you can't pay for it. But, the Seguro Popular (Govt.) will make that determination, and yes often times does charge partially for their services.

In a Medical Emergency, where you are not alert enough to talk and tell the Emergency people what Insurance you have - you just might end up at the General Hospital in your community. They service Seguro Popular and others. There it will be determined by relatives, neighbors what your Economic Status is rather you can pay something or not. But, they won't leave you out in the hallway, they'll start administering Medical Services to you regardless of known Economic Status.

As far as the level of service of Seguro Popular? I've only witnessed a few times while visiting others that ended up at the local General Hospital. In an Emergency ( at least in our State) you will be looked after by some of the top Specialists in the State at the Seguro Popular administered facility, that take turns serving hours at the General Hospital. Some of the same you would see (and we have seen) at IMSS, and also some we've had to visit out of system because of schedule conflict and pay at their private office $500-800 pesos per consultation. BUT, after that the level of service I've seen is inferior to IMSS. 

Probably depends some from State to State. We had, past tense one of the most corrupt Governor's imaginable (I'd have to say Physcotic behavior), and he stripped the General Hospital and many other Public Facilties of so much funds during his tenure, that you had to bring your own top sheet? Even the PRI which was his party now pretty much hates even the mention of his name. So, I'm sure if varies from State-State and Community, the service that you'll see.

Then there is DIF, which is another State Run Services, which includes some Medical Services and do treat people. I think this is entirely free, but other's who might know more - please chime in.

Moral of the story;
1.) Good to keep a photo copy of a reduced copy of the card of your Insurance Carrier, even IMSS Card on your person when you go out.

2.) Good to know the best Hospitals in your area for different things; ie. Cardiac Centers, General Medical Services, Clinics, etc. before anything happens to you. So if you get picked up on the street or by an Ambulance you can direct them for the best place for them to take you.
Ask your Doctors and Specialists what centers those might be in advance.

3.) Have a cell phone to call your family or neighbors if you do get taken to a Medical Facility so some one can come help with the paperwork.

I hope this helps. After 12 years off/on in Mexico it can still get a little bewildering to me too.


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## trpt2345 (Jan 15, 2012)

Hound Dog said:


> My wife and I, (70 and 65 years old respectively), consider ourselves locals as we are permanent residents after living here for eleven years and soon intend to become citizens. We never signed up for IMSS back when we arrived in 2001 and are today pleased with that decision as the program ( which is reported to be bankrupt) has problems in both places we live in Mexico. In San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, the always crowded, frenetic and, from outward appearances, somewhat primitive IMSS facility is, to say the least uninviting at best. In the other community in which we reside, Chapala, Jalisco, which has a large expat population, IMSS has been making it more and more difficult for foreigners to avail themselves of IMSS services if what we read on internet forums is true. On the other hand, some posters on the same forums speak highly of IMSS in the greater Guadalajara area in which Chapala is on the periphery.
> 
> I am not writing this to criticize IMSS or Seguro Popular but just to enlighten those of you who have never explored the alternative of private major medical insurance as to the costs and benefits of private insurance. Keep in mind that private major medical insurance may be harder to come by if you are 70years old as am I. We signed up with our insurance company years ago when I was 60 and my wife was 55. While our policy states that we can never be dropped from coverage, the premiums, of couse, increase with age. From what I say below, you can get some idea as to what your costs and coverage may be by the time you reach mid-60s to 70 if you elected coverage at an age where you were eligible and decided to seek out private major medical coverage with nationwide applicability in all of Mexico and limited international emergency coverage.
> 
> ...


Again, I have to say this is completely contrary to our experience. IMSS in Morelia at least is competent, thorough and considering very efficient. Many times in the US a visit to my doc would take hours. Sometimes here too but many times we have been in and out in 90 minutes including waiting in line for free meds. I am much more healthy now at the age of sixty than I was in Chicago, I take fewer meds and have way better blood test results. Yes, it's not the same, but at least for me and my wife in this time and place it is more than worth it. I'd hesitate to take anecdotal evidence as truth.


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