# Private Health Insurance pre-existing condition



## Zoe Grande (Oct 14, 2018)

Hello Everyone. I'm new here. I'm an American giving serious consideration to moving to Mexico - and looking at San Miguel de Allende and Queretaro. I have a ton of questions, but my first one is - I have arthritis issues. I'm 55 and already have 3 joint replacements. Will I be able to get private health insurance? Will my arthritis issues ever be covered - even say, after a lengthy wait period? Thanks so much for any help!


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

There are various private insurance companies here, and you would need to inquire about their restrictions yourself. If it turns out that none will cover you because of your pre-existing condition, there are two government sponsored programs available: IMSS, which excludes a number of pre-existing conditions for (I think) a period of years, and Seguro Popular, which accepts everyone but has limitations on what will get treatment, usually depending on age. 

The latter's availability may be severely limited with the new government as of December 1st. It has been said that they will focus on the poor and inconveniently located portion of the population first. I'm hoping that those presently insured under that program who don't fit that criteria will continue to be able to receive care under it. That is my own insurance because I have pre-existing conditions which exclude me from obtaining private insurance. It remains to be seen what will happen.

Perhaps Senor Google can be useful. I'd start with "private health insurance companies in Mexico".


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

There are various private insurrance but they usually will not cover what they consider preconditions.. so chances are that ne operations will not be covered. As far as the IMSS and Seguro popular they may or may not cover the situation. A friend of mone meed a hiip replacement ahd her surgery has been postponed 4 or 5 times for various reasons so you need patience even if you are covered.


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## Zoe Grande (Oct 14, 2018)

Thanks so much, to both of you for the reply. I have already looked at another concern with the government sponsored health care and hospitals. According to a fairly recent study I looked at, they have a scary high infection rate (especially for hip replacements!). I would be loathe to go to a government sponsored hospital for any major surgery. I will look into it further and also look into how much a hip replacement would cost (without insurance) in Mexico (at a private hospital). I'm sure it would be considerably less than in the US.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

I found this by asking Senor Google. You can probably find much other needed information that way, too.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/450373/cost-of-a-hip-replacement-in-various-countries/


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## HolyMole (Jan 3, 2009)

Zoe Grande said:


> Thanks so much, to both of you for the reply. I have already looked at another concern with the government sponsored health care and hospitals. According to a fairly recent study I looked at, they have a scary high infection rate (especially for hip replacements!). I would be loathe to go to a government sponsored hospital for any major surgery. I will look into it further and also look into how much a hip replacement would cost (without insurance) in Mexico (at a private hospital). I'm sure it would be considerably less than in the US.


POSSIBLY considerably less than having the medical procedures done in the US. There are too many stories suggesting that private Mexican hospitals see gringos and Canadians as walking ATM machines, with outrageous charges they would never dare impose on Mexican nationals.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Did you check my link re relative costs? It shows the U.S. costs way above and beyond those of most other countries. 

My solution to dealing with medical costs is to pay out of pocket and carry Seguro Popular as a backup. This may not continue to be available. I have had three surgeries in Mexico over the years and have found the costs reasonable, compared to the U.S. I haven't detected any sign of being treated like an ATM machine. Others may have had different experiences.


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## Zoe Grande (Oct 14, 2018)

Thanks HolyMole for that info! Yeesh. That's scary. I'm going to try to contact some insurance companies (in Mexico) and see what I can find out about my situation.


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## Zoe Grande (Oct 14, 2018)

lagoloo said:


> Did you check my link re relative costs? It shows the U.S. costs way above and beyond those of most other countries.
> 
> My solution to dealing with medical costs is to pay out of pocket and carry Seguro Popular as a backup. This may not continue to be available. I have had three surgeries in Mexico over the years and have found the costs reasonable, compared to the U.S. I haven't detected any sign of being treated like an ATM machine. Others may have had different experiences.


I went to the link you provided, but the data is blocked - and it looks like I need to pay to see the data. I am assuming it's less in Mexico and the U.S. rates as one of the highest cost countries? Thanks for your info, lagoloo - glad to hear you've had good experiences.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Sorry about that link. This one may prove more useful. The conclusion is that the average cost savings would be around 60% over the U.S.

https://www.hipreplacementsurgerymexico.com/


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

I found this article in today's Mexico News Daily:

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/am...il&utm_term=0_f1536a3787-f866f5a82f-349531681

If this comes to pass, it will be a good thing for everyone.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Good luck on reforming coruption, talk is easy let´s see what is actually done, my guess is very little. It may be an improvement for the very poor but if you thing tht a sustem such as Europe will be available, you are dreaming, at least in the near future.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

You will note that I said "IF". One can dream.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

lagoloo said:


> I found this article in today's Mexico News Daily:
> 
> https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/am...il&utm_term=0_f1536a3787-f866f5a82f-349531681
> 
> If this comes to pass, it will be a good thing for everyone.


Another one of AMLO's pie-in-the-sky promises.


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## dwwhiteside (Apr 17, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> Another one of AMLO's pie-in-the-sky promises.


FYI, and apropos of nothing, I was returning home to Colima on Monday from visiting family in Mexico City. My wife and I noticed a gathering of reporters and camera crews just beyond our boarding gate. Turns out, it was AMLO and he was getting on the same plane we were and flying to Colima. So, at the very least, for now he seems to be keeping his promise to fly commercial when possible and not use government planes. He was kind enough to take a few minutes and had his aid take a picture with my wife and I after we landed and got off the plane.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

dwwhiteside said:


> FYI, and apropos of nothing, I was returning home to Colima on Monday from visiting family in Mexico City. My wife and I noticed a gathering of reporters and camera crews just beyond our boarding gate. Turns out, it was AMLO and he was getting on the same plane we were and flying to Colima. So, at the very least, for now he seems to be keeping his promise to fly commercial when possible and not use government planes. He was kind enough to take a few minutes and had his aid take a picture with my wife and I after we landed and got off the plane.


I consider that promise mostly pandering to his base and not of any great help to the many problems facing Mexico. But it was nice of him let his aide take your picture with him. As you can tell, I'm not a big fan of the president-elect.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Isla Verde said:


> I consider that promise mostly pandering to his base and not of any great help to the many problems facing Mexico. But it was nice of him let his aide take your picture with him. As you can tell, I'm not a big fan of the president-elect.


I'm not a great fan of any of them, but the other candidates were a guarantee of "more of the same". (What I think doesn't matter, though, since my attempt to become a voting citizen was unsuccessful.)


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

lagoloo said:


> I'm not a great fan of any of them, but the other candidates were a guarantee of "more of the same". (What I think doesn't matter, though, since my attempt to become a voting citizen was unsuccessful.)


I was a bit more positive about AMLO. I agree that all the others were more of the same and there was no chance of any significant changes with Anaya or Meade. Whether AMLO can really make a difference remains to be seen. I think it will be pretty difficult. In any event I did vote for him, it was my first time voting in Mexico.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

Isla Verde said:


> dwwhiteside said:
> 
> 
> > FYI, and apropos of nothing, I was returning home to Colima on Monday from visiting family in Mexico City. My wife and I noticed a gathering of reporters and camera crews just beyond our boarding gate. Turns out, it was AMLO and he was getting on the same plane we were and flying to Colima. So, at the very least, for now he seems to be keeping his promise to fly commercial when possible and not use government planes. He was kind enough to take a few minutes and had his aid take a picture with my wife and I after we landed and got off the plane.
> ...


ALMO won't have access to the presidential plane until Dec. 1st..

I think he is full of as you say: Pie in the sky changes but still doesn't understand what all these federal and state governments are actually responsible for and blames the federal government for things that state governments are resonsible for. His repeated take on corruption in the federal Secretaria de Salud is reversed for example and some of the state offices of finances are screwing around with their certified federal tax money deposits to pay for the Seguro Poular in their state and nothing to do with Mexico City sending them budgeted certified payments. He claims everything is the PRIs fault all of the time with no proof. The Federal Auditors have caught hundreds of expropiated funds from these certified federal deposits, very easy to track to the payee, and the state finance and Seguro Poular administrators have proven the irregularities and the money was in another place because the accounting dept. screwed up. This can take 2 years to come out the federal auditors that are so far behind and months to resolve but ALMO doesn't mention that just that X amount of funds were embezelled by the Seguro Popular employees. Also many cases are in process and many were resolved years ago but doesn't remove these amounts from the 10 year billions of pesos total. Some guilty politicans and their employees returned some of the money by SAT seizures. Some state politicians went to jail for illegal enrichment embezelling federal money , Both Duartes, one in Veracruz and one in Chihuahua, and more cases are being audited and criminal indictments and property siezures are pending. ALMO omits these facts and skips to bashing instead of straightforward dialouge.

I would have to assume he does this on all topics as well. It appears to be his style when speaking. We will see of he changes when formally informed of what really is happening instead of BSing like he is doing now.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I am afraid I agree with you Alan..it will be more of the same with a different twist.. AMLO seems very unprepared for the job .


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