Health Insurance in Mexico

I moved to Mexico in October of 2008 and with things the way they were in the U.S. with healthcare, I purchased a private health insurance plan in Mexico. Initially I did not know what to expect with an annual premium less than $1,000.00. In the U.S. $1000.00 would get you maybe 3 or 4 months of insurance for an over 50 male. I have heard there is a public plan in Mexico that costs $250.00 per year and that many Americans buy into it and it works quite well, but I do not know this first hand. The state run plan is for public hospitals which I can only assume, means waiting in lines in crowded hospitals, but again, I have not explored this option at all. Having visited a number of hospitals here in Hermosillo, public, private and church run, I have not seen any over crowded facilities.

The plan I purchased is from AXA Insurance a company born in France and now has independent groups around the world. My first experience here in Mexico was to schedule an annual physical that is included in the plan. Of course I had to choose a Doctor so I inquired about English speaking MD’s that could be my primary care Doctor and upon choosing my Doctor I called to make an appointment for the physical. The receptionist being bilingual was able to make an appointment for the very next day at a time that I chose. The annual exam that is covered by the plan includes: blood pressure, EKG, full blood and urine analysis (cholesterol, prostate etc) and the usual eyes, ears, throat, look under the hood evaluation. The only cost involved is the fee for the visit to the Doctor that totaled about $15.00 U.S. The AXA plan I purchased also provides limited coverage in the U.S. Should I be in an accident of some kind. I am covered 100% for emergency room costs as well as transportation (once stable) back to a Mexican hospital for the rest of my treatment.

To give you an idea of how different the system is here, the blood work was booked for an appointment, blood taken and the results presented, all on the same day! This is the usual procedure as I have had 4 or 5 blood / urine tests in the 18 months. The same is true for the urine analysis as well as x-rays. In fact during one of my visits with the orthopedic surgeon he wrote a Doctors order to get x-rays of my hips. I went to the hospital with the order and was immediately taken into the x-ray lab, had the x-rays taken and received the results all within 10 minutes. That kind of blew my mind, but in the year and a half I have been in Mexico, it seems to be the norm.

The waiting rooms in the buildings where the Doctors are located look more like first class airport lounges than what I had come to know in California as the metal chaired waiting rooms full of people waiting 30 minutes or an hour beyond my appointment time. The waiting rooms here have nice leather couches with large coffee tables arranged in pods in spacious rooms where I have never seen more than 5 or 6 people waiting at any one time.

My plan has a deductible of $22,000.00 pesos or roughly $1,800.00. Because I am having my operation in a Cima Hospital I am given a further discount to the equivalent of $1,500.00. I am not sure of why this discount is applied, but I have no reason to complain about it. Once the deductible is exceeded the coverage is 100% including all meds, all Doctor fees, physical therapy both in the hospital and when I am home. Regarding hospitals, I am eligible to go to any private hospital in Mexico with the exception of 3 or so that are located in Mexico City. I will get a private room in whatever hospital I am attended to and if the hospital has suites (two rooms), they are included in the plan. As I will be beginning my hospital stay in just a few days, I will be able to better describe the accommodations food, staff etc. I tried to book the suite, but it can only be reserved one day before entry into the hospital. We will be calling on Sunday to see if the suite is available. I have been told wiifi is available in the hospital and will confirm that once I have checked in.

Outside of the annual physical exam, these are the approximate out of pocket coasts for the following tests: blood test $10.00, x-rays $15.00, MRI spine $485.00 and of course the cost of prescription or over the counter drugs are a fraction of the cost in the U.S. The hip replacement operation costs are about $18,000.00 each. As I have been run through the approval process to have both hips done (not at the same time), I will only pay the one deductible of $1,500.00.

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. So far my experience here in Mexico medical land has been far above the average care in the U.S. What remains to be seen is the result of the operation which takes place Monday morning, April 5 at about 11:30 am PST. I like my orthopedic surgeon; he has been doing hip replacements for 20 years and seems to be active in his field attending Int’l symposiums related to the latest equipment and procedures. My replacement will be a metal ball in a poly cup inside a metal holder screwed into my hip joint. No metal on metal, no ceramic and hopefully a replacement that will last many years (average expectancy is 20 years).

If you would like to check out the Cima Hospital in Hermosillo follow the link below.


http://www.cimamedicalvaluetravel.com/herm

Up next: Checking into the hospital and the Operation