Every year, more and more US citizens are establishing permanent residency in Mexico. In fact, Mexico is now ranked #1 for the country with the most US Citizens living abroad. If you are an expatriate in Mexico or are thinking about relocating, one of the most important considerations is proper health and medical insurance.
Health and medical insurance in Mexico is considered a “pluralistic” health care system meaning that there are both private and public health insurance options. The public option is called the Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social (IMSS) which covers public facilities only. In order to be eligible for the national health care system as a non-Mexican citizen, you will need to be employed. The health care system withholds a portion of your salary and your employers pay a large contribution to cover the insurance premiums each year. The coverage includes doctor visits, hospitalization, prescriptions, labs, x-rays, etc. However, some pre-existing conditions are not covered and the public system has longer wait periods to obtain care than in private facilities.
Related: Healthcare in Mexico
Because of this, many expatriates living in Mexico prefer to have a private international health and medical insurance plan in place. In many cases this allows individuals to choose either a public or private facility. An additional advantage is that expatriates have the option to receive treatment in the country of choice – whether in Mexico or their home country.
Many expatriates find that the Cigna Global Medical plan is well designed as a health and medical insurance for Mexico. The plan features worldwide coverage and you have the option to include the US and Canada as well. Securing a private insurance plan will allow you to choose your doctor or hospital – including private facilities – and can be annually renewed to give you the protection you need year after year.
Related: How Much Does it Cost to Live in Mexico as an Expat
Furthermore, you will have the option to seek treatment either in Mexico or at home. Many international health and medical insurance plans also provide translation services which may be helpful in Mexico if you are not as familiar with Spanish.
You might also be interested in reading our information about Healthcare and Hospitals in Mexico.
