{"id":3173,"date":"2011-03-27T02:38:51","date_gmt":"2011-03-27T08:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/temp-blog\/?p=3173"},"modified":"2011-03-27T02:38:51","modified_gmt":"2011-03-27T08:38:51","slug":"mexico-retirement-and-health-insurance-options","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/2011\/03\/mexico-retirement-and-health-insurance-options\/","title":{"rendered":"Mexico Retirement and Health Insurance Options"},"content":{"rendered":"

While making the decision to start a Mexico retirement<\/a>, and starting the process of looking for Mexico real estate<\/a> ideal to enjoy the warm-weather and relaxation Mexico is known for, retirees will also want to consider which approach they wish to take to healthcare in Mexico.<\/p>\n

Private healthcare in Mexico is of very high quality, and is very affordable, usually presenting savings of between 50% and 70% compared to costs in the U.S.\u00c2\u00a0 While for most retirees or soon-to-be retirees this is enough in itself to make Mexico even more attractive for retirement.<\/p>\n

However, some Americans living in Mexico also consider the possibility of insurance to cover their healthcare costs.\u00c2\u00a0 There are several important points to consider if taking this approach.<\/p>\n

U.S. Insurance<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"It is a feasible option to continue using insurance from the U.S. while living in Mexico.\u00c2\u00a0 Many plans will cover healthcare in Mexico, especially since the cost is significantly lower, which means savings for them as well. Some insurance companies in California offer less expensive policies that are valid only in Mexico because of the low costs.<\/em><\/p>\n

It is important, however, to check ahead of time, or at least before any major process if the hospital can accept the plan directly, or if you will have to pay upfront, and later request reimbursement from your insurance company.\u00c2\u00a0 It is becoming more common that international insurance plans will accepted directly in hospitals and you will only have to pay the deductible, with more Mexican hospitals gaining international accreditation.\u00c2\u00a0 This will be dependent both on what insurance plan you hold, and on what hospital you go to.\u00c2\u00a0 It is best to investigate this ahead of time.<\/em><\/p>\n


\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Price of Insurance in Mexico<\/strong><\/p>\n

On the other hand, <\/em>an average health care insurance policy in the U.S. can cost as much as $5,000.\u00c2\u00a0 International plans are also very expensive, since they are intended for travelers who will be visiting many countries, often for business reasons, with the price covered by the company.\u00c2\u00a0 For many retirees, the high cost of healthcare and insurance is one of the main motivations to move to Mexico.\u00c2\u00a0 For this reason, it may be a better choice to consider private insurance in Mexico.<\/p>\n

Both national and international insurance companies are present in Mexico, and both offer options worth considering.\u00c2\u00a0 Mexican banks also offer insurance packages which include health coverage.\u00c2\u00a0 Many larger hospitals have insurance offices on site.<\/em><\/p>\n

On average, Mexican health insurance for a small family costs $1500 USD per year \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a savings comparable to the savings seen in paying the expenses out of pocket.\u00c2\u00a0 Of course, this price varies depending on age, etc.\u00c2\u00a0 Deductible also tend to be considerably smaller.<\/em><\/p>\n

Age Coverage<\/strong><\/p>\n

As in the U.S., it will be important to investigate the age covered by any given insurance plan.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Younger retirees will have no issues with age limits.\u00c2\u00a0 Some companies which have an age restriction will also respect the coverage of someone who held a long-time insurance plan.<\/p>\n

Service Coverage<\/strong><\/p>\n

When choosing a health insurance plan in Mexico, it’s important to investigate which hospitals it covers, the quality and reputation of those hospitals, and the range of services they offer.\u00c2\u00a0 Sometimes, it may be reasonable to work the other way around; if you find a hospital which covers your needs, check for a policy that includes that hospital.\u00c2\u00a0 Also, if you are going sight-seeing and travelling through Mexico, find out which hospitals in other regions are covered.<\/p>\n

Insurance plans in Mexico tend to cover a wider range of health care issues and are much wider in scope.\u00c2\u00a0 Of course, this varies with plan and price, and while you can find less expensive plans, you also have the option of very complete coverage for considerably less than in the U.S.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 While pre-existing conditions do have to be taken into consideration, associated costs will still be lower than with U.S. plans.<\/p>\n

Mexico’s Public Insurance<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mexico’s Social Security Institute has it’s own hospitals, which have a very wide presence throughout the country.\u00c2\u00a0 A flat annual fee of $350 with no deductibles and no limits, includes free medication (both in hospital and prescription), tests, X-rays, glasses and dental work.\u00c2\u00a0 U.S. citizens with their FM2 (permanent resident visa) are eligible.\u00c2\u00a0 Those who use it say the healthcare is of good quality, but the hospitals are not state-of-the-art (as the private ones) and there tends to be a lot of paperwork and waiting in lines involved.\u00c2\u00a0 For some people the price isn’t worth it, but a handful of retirees are finding it covers their needs.<\/p>\n

Medicare Coverage<\/strong><\/p>\n

Currently, Medicare does not cover health care in Mexico, but Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon has been discussing the possibility with the U.S. Government to authorize certain Mexican hospitals to be covered.\u00c2\u00a0 This would save substantial funds for the currently strained U.S. Medicare budget, and would present a real benefit for retirees who qualify for Medicare and choose Mexico retirement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Whichever option you choose \u00e2\u20ac\u201c insurance or just paying medical expenses out-of-pocket \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Mexico’s hospitals and healthcare will present you with considerable savings, making it easier to gain the best medical service quickly, and to keep your retirement funds in tact, enjoying this relaxing stage of life the way it should be.<\/p>\n

Thomas Lloyd <\/strong>graduated from Purdue University Krannert School of Management with a degree in Management\/Financial Option Investments. He has been living, investing, and working professionally in Mexico for over 15 years. In the summer of 2009, he received the first federally applied Mexico Real Estate Degree <\/strong>and Mexico Professional Real Estate License<\/strong> S.E.P. #5978657. He is the current president of TOPmexicorealestate, you can contact him at <\/em>(512) 879-6546<\/span><\/strong> or through the company’s web site<\/em> www.TOP<\/span>mexicorealestate.com<\/a> NETWORK
\n<\/strong>
\n“Mexico\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely<\/strong><\/span><\/span>!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While making the decision to start a Mexico retirement, and starting the process of looking for Mexico real estate ideal to enjoy the warm-weather and relaxation Mexico is known for, retirees will also want to consider which approach they wish to take to healthcare in Mexico. Private healthcare in Mexico is of very high quality, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[742,271,764,682,494,4,23,219],"tags":[386],"class_list":{"0":"post-3173","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-bb-kits","7":"category-mexico-cost-of-living-living-in-mexico","8":"category-how-is-the-hospital-care-in-mexico","9":"category-mexico-cost-of-living-mexico-retirement","10":"category-mexico-hospitals","11":"category-mexico-retirement","12":"category-mexico-retirement-affordable-living","13":"category-mexico-retirement-living","14":"tag-mexico-properties","15":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3173"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3173\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3179,"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3173\/revisions\/3179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}