# Health Insurance



## gleeruss (Sep 3, 2012)

I'm planning to move to Mexico in a few years. My retirement covers my healthcare here in the US, but will need health insurance when in Mexico. I've been looking at International Health insurance. Anyone have experience with GMI, Bupa, HCC or Health Care International?


----------



## dongringo (Dec 13, 2010)

gleeruss said:


> I'm planning to move to Mexico in a few years. My retirement covers my healthcare here in the US, but will need health insurance when in Mexico. I've been looking at International Health insurance. Anyone have experience with GMI, Bupa, HCC or Health Care International?


All of the international carriers have outrageous tariffs. I suggest you look at Mexican providers when you are ready to move.

I have had good experiences with Grupo Nacional Provincial


----------



## FHBOY (Jun 15, 2010)

First question: How is your general health? Do you have any chronic conditions? Are you under a doctor's care? We are in general good health for the purposes of this post.

Need vs want? We faced the same question and still have no really good answer. Health care in Mexico is very different and less expensive we have discovered. You can visit a doctor or get him/her to visit you for $20 USD, which is less than the co-pay on my USA insurance. Prescription drugs do not need a prescription except for narcotics and can be purchased over the counter.

Ask for anecdotal evidence on health care and you'll hear of hospital stays and procedures at 33% of the cost in the USA.

So, without first hand knowledge we have planned the following (we don't know all the how's, but that takes time): 

- We are establishing a de facto HSA account in a US bank (our financial guy will find out is an HSA will accrue the same benefit to us as expats), which is , in effect self-insuring. By putting aside for major expenses, we hope that will never happen, we hope to avoid disaster.

- We will apply for IMSS, the Mexico universal health care and not use it for the routine colds and stuff. At $20 USD - I'd rather go to a private Dr for that than get into a clinical practice for things like that. If we get it, it is good to have when all the different coverages kick in after the first year.

- Dental is a joke - $50 for a cleaning is considered high, we are told [we saw an ad in Ajijic for $150 MXN pesos] - and the rest of the procedures are similarly moderately priced.

- We are not yet old enough for Medicare, so that decision is far off.

- I've read about the private medical insurance and it can run $500 - 600 a month.

Are we taking a risk? Insurance is nothing more than a way to manage risk, not eliminate it. We could be wrong in our plans...we don't know...but spending over $7,000/year that could be saved and invested, doesn't seem at this point to make as much sense.

Time will tell, right?


----------

