# Health insurance on FMT visa



## Contador (Jan 1, 2010)

My wife and I are planning to retire in the next 12 months and are seriously considering a move to the Lake Chapala area. The prevailing opinion seems to be to come in on an FMT and then get an FM-2 or FM-3 after arriving. My question is how people are handling health insurance during that FMT period. Can you get Mexican health insurance on an FMT? We are too young to qualify for US Medicare and continuing my US health insurance may be possible, but would be expensive. Any thoughts?


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

You need an FM3 for IMSS but you don't have to wait six months to get it. In the mean time medical care is quite inexpensive. In fact you may choose to use private care in most cases to keep things simple.

FM2 is only possible after 5 years on an FM3


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## Contador (Jan 1, 2010)

Thanks, Sparks. I've seen some of the prices for routine stuff and that seems very reasonable. Can we get insurance that will cover major items while on an FMT?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Would it be possible to extend your present major medical plan for some time after retirement, until you get your FM3 and IMSS or private insurance in Mexico?
If not, some kind of travel insurance might be available.
Frankly, we never gave it much thought and just made the move, eventually getting IMSS long after we were settled in. As Sparks has noted, care in Mexico is quite reasonable out of pocket for 99% of needs.


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## Contador (Jan 1, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestion. Extending the major medical in US is a possibilty. We just don't know how the timing will work and would love to get away from the cost of the US insurance. I'll see what develops.


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## GnJ.in.MX (Mar 26, 2009)

Being Canadian and not knowing the cost of anything medical here because of our medical health system, it is difficult for me to compare the costs to those in Mexico. I would assume the costs in Mexico are much less.

Having said that, my husband ended up in the hospital (Puerto de Hierro, in Zapopan) last year for 3 weeks. He had to get surgery to remove one metre of dead intestine as a result of a mesenteric arterial thrombosis. That cost $80,000 USD. Lucky for us, we had excellent insurance which paid the whole thing. Don't know what the experience would have been were we on IMSS.

Little stuff, little problem. Big stuff, big problem.


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## moisheh (Jun 14, 2009)

Chapala may be the only area in Mexico with half decent IMSS. Elsewhere you wait forever to see a person who is not even qualified to be a vet. The system is beyond bankrupt and frequently runs out of drugs. The latest drugs are not available from the IMSS. Private health care is much less than in the USA but it is not dirt cheap. Operations such as minor surgery are about 40% of USA. DR. visits at a highly rated clinic will be 350 to 400 pesos. You can see Dr. Simi for about 30 pesos!! Medical care in Mexico can vary from excellent to downright rustico!!!

Moisheh


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

sparks said:


> You need an FM3 for IMSS but you don't have to wait six months to get it. In the mean time medical care is quite inexpensive. In fact you may choose to use private care in most cases to keep things simple.
> 
> FM2 is only possible after 5 years on an FM3


Correction ... the laws have changed recently and you can now apply for an FM2 directly from a tourist visa (FMT). This is from my visit to the Ajijic Law office yesterday.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

It probably won't help the Canadian expats on this thread but we use a combination of US and local, in our case Queretaro. We are on Medicare with private pension backup which is good. I'm pretty comfortable with the emergency room in Queretaro for short term and stabilization. We were also turned on to DAN(Divers Alert Network) even though we aren't divers. This is a great "insurance" policy anywhere in the world. For a very small annual fee, we get a set of numbers for the local doctor to call. The call goes to Duke Hospital and the doctors there work with the local doctor to decide what needs be done and where. If necessary to move to the US, DAN coordinates a flight to the nearest US hospital that has the required capability.


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