{"id":1954,"date":"2023-07-18T09:37:55","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T01:37:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/?p=1954"},"modified":"2024-04-30T11:46:39","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T03:46:39","slug":"healthcare-for-expat-retirees-in-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/healthcare-for-expat-retirees-in-mexico\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthcare for expat retirees in Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mexico is an attractive destination for expat retirees due to its relatively low cost of living, modern infrastructure, excellent healthcare, as well as proximity to the United States. So much so that it ranked four out of the top 10 countries in<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/internationalliving.com\/the-best-places-to-retire\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> International Living\u2019s Global Retirement Index 2023<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If you too are planning on relocating to Mexico in your golden years, then it is imperative to know the ins and outs of its healthcare system. This<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pacific Prime Latin America<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> article will answer all your questions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class='code-block code-block-1' style='margin: 8px 0; clear: both;'>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/compare-quotes\/step-one\/?campSource=PPMX-Blog&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=content_banner&utm_campaign=banner&utm_content=single\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-774\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/WP-Banner-revamp-final-20221207_1.-Single-final.jpg\" alt=\"Individual health insurance blog\" width=\"1138\" height=\"493\" \/><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Value for money healthcare<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you make preparations for your big move, you\u2019ve got to make sure that you understand the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/all-you-need-to-know-about-healthcare-services-in-mexico\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">healthcare system in Mexico<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. After all, it\u2019s a fact of life that as one ages one will need to rely more on healthcare services. Here, we\u2019ll give you a quick round up on two key points:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>High standards at affordable prices:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Medical facilities and healthcare providers in Mexico are on par with what\u2019s available in the U.S. However, expat retirees can expect to pay 50% less in Mexico for the same treatments and prescriptions compared to its neighbor to the north.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Medical tourism: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if you choose not to retire in Mexico, you can still travel to the country for medical services like many others. This is because it\u2019s very popular with medical tourists; it\u2019s the largest <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.globaldata.com\/store\/report\/medical-tourism-market-analysis\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">medical tourism destination<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for North Americans. That gives many expat retirees the confidence to move to the country.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although healthcare is more affordable in Mexico, you should familiarize yourself with its <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.com\/cost-of-health-insurance-2023\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cost of healthcare<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In addition to this, you should note that U.S. health insurance, such as<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicare.gov\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medicare<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will typically not provide coverage abroad and you\u2019ll need to make other arrangements.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Public vs. Private healthcare<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mexico has a public and a private healthcare system. As an expat retiree, you will be classed as a legal resident so you can access public hospitals. But you may want to consider going private instead, especially if you can\u2019t communicate in Spanish. The following tells you why:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Accessibility and language barrier: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While public hospitals are known for long wait times, private hospitals are far more comfortable to visit. If you go to the ones catered to medical tourists, the staff will also be more familiar in dealing with foreign patients.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Quality of healthcare and services:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In addition to this, public hospitals may have their resources stretched. On the other hand, you can expect state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technologies at private hospitals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Support system:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You should also bear in mind that being admitted to public hospitals will require a fair amount of support from family and friends. Conversely, going private means all your needs will be taken care of by the hospital staff.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Accessing healthcare services<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To access healthcare services in Mexico, without paying out of pocket, you\u2019ll need to look into your<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/health-and-medical-insurance-options-for-expats-in-mexico\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">health insurance options<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This will either be a public health insurance scheme (INSABI or IMSS) or a private health insurance scheme. Learn about your options below:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Instituto de Salud para el Biernestar (INSABI)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Available to citizens and legal residents who don\u2019t already have access to the more comprehensive IMSS, the INSABI program is said to provide treatment and medication free of charge. There are no subscription fees and unemployed people mainly use it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IMSS is designed for citizens or residents who are formally employed in Mexico (and their immediate family). Expat retirees who don\u2019t fall in this category can sign up voluntarily for around 3,000 to 7,000 pesos a year. Under the service, users will get extensive healthcare.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The care received will depend largely on the hospital &#8211; those in big cities are generally better equipped. However, it is still not possible to avoid the long waiting times and overcrowding that plagues all public hospitals.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Private health insurance<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The aforementioned public health insurance schemes only allow access to public hospitals. If you want to access private hospitals instead and would rather not shoulder the high costs, you should look into private health insurance for retirees.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Premium costs will depend on whether it&#8217;s a<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/should-i-choose-a-local-or-international-health-insurance-plan\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">local or international plan<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as well as factors relating to coverage, age, lifestyle, and pre-existing conditions. This will likely be on the pricer end for expat retirees, so you should<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/contact-us\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contact a broker<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to find your best option.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Looking for retiree health insurance? Get in touch with Pacific Prime<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Want to retire abroad but not entirely sold on the idea of Mexico? Learn more about healthcare in<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/an-overview-of-latin-american-healthcare-systems\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Latin American countries<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before you decide on a country. Whether you\u2019re toying with the idea of retiring overseas or already packing your bags for the move, you can get in touch with<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pacific Prime Latin America<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for help in securing retiree health insurance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a global health insurance broker, with over two decades of experience, we have a growing presence in Latin America. We work with<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/insurers\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">top insurers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the region, such as Axa, Buga, Cigna, and more, to present you with<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/compare-quotes\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">vetted plans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that suit your needs and budget. For no-obligation quotes or insurance advice,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/contact-us\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contact us<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> today!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class='code-block code-block-6' style='margin: 8px 0; clear: both;'>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/compare-quotes\/step-one\/?campSource=PPMX-Blog&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=cta_banner&utm_campaign=banner&utm_content=quote\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-781\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/PPMX_gen_CTA.jpg\" alt=\"Get an Insurance quote banner\" width=\"1138\" height=\"493\" \/><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mexico is an attractive destination for expat retirees due to its relatively low cost of living, modern infrastructure, excellent healthcare, as well as proximity to the United States. So much so that it ranked four out of the top 10 countries in International Living\u2019s Global Retirement Index 2023. If you too are planning on relocating &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":1955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[767,768,454,1177,1170,1178,733,1026],"class_list":["post-1954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insurance","tag-ban_sin","tag-cta_gen","tag-expat-health-insurance","tag-expat-retiree","tag-mexico-healthcare","tag-retire-in-mexico","tag-retiree-health-insurance","tag-retiree-insurance"],"acf":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1954"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1954\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3019,"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1954\/revisions\/3019"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1955"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.lat\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}