Home Health Care How To: Review of Health and Medical Insurance Options for Mexico

How To: Review of Health and Medical Insurance Options for Mexico

by Brent May

What are your options?

In most cases, visitors and foreign residents need to make specific provisions for their health care needs given the absence of any reciprocal agreements between Mexico and any other country. In the event of an accident or a serious illness, expenses will not be covered and you will have to pay them out of pocket. In this article we outline the main insurance options that you can use as a visitor, expat, or resident.

Travel & Health Insurance

As a first step, consider obtaining Travel & Health Insurance :

This insurance is intended to cover medical expenses, financial default of travel suppliers, and other losses incurred while traveling, either within one’s own country, or internationally. It is a temporary travel insurance and it can usually be arranged at the time of the booking of a trip to cover exactly the duration of that trip.

If you’re in Mexico for Short Visits, that is to say if you’re on a vacation or short business trip, this type of insurance might be provided by your current healthcare provider or through a short-trip travel insurance policy. However if you’re planning for Extended Stays in Mexico you might want to consider a private health insurance policy that covers you locally .

If you are a Canadian or U.S. resident you might want to check out tour article, How to Get a Handle on Your Local Expat Medical Coverage in Mexico.

Long-term health insurance options

On the other hand, if you plan to reside in Mexico, you should consider health insurance coverage that will be valid and provide adequate care for your needs. Here are your options:

Mexico’s IMSS Medical System Insurance

The IMSS provides access to certain doctors, clinics and hospitals in Mexico. Temporary and Permanent residents can qualify. This plan also covers some medications and the coverage costs depend on your age; restrictions and limitations apply. Like all publicly-funded healthcare systems, patient demand is usually higher than the supply of services, so you are probably going to have to wait for care. In lower population density areas like Huatulco and Puerto Escondido, this is usually not the case. You will receive care without much wait especially when compared to wait times in Canada and the U.S.

In Mexico, both the federal government and states provide healthcare. States may provide healthcare options independent of the federal options. Check on this in your state.

If you’re interested and want to know more about this option, check out our article on

How to Obtain Public Health Care in Mexico.

Private domestic insurance

Typically, most private insurance companies have their own provisions for international travel, but every insurance company, and within each company, there are different and varied benefits, definitions and policies, so it will be up to you to find one that suits you. Your private health insurance coverage might offer coverage while you’re in Mexico. Check with them on the specific details of actually using it and getting reimbursed. Although the company may say you are covered, it is not always an easily navigable process. Frequently, you will pay for services and wait to be reimbursed.

Medical Evacuation from Mexico

This enables residents or visitors in Mexico who continue to be covered in their home country to get home for treatment and to convalesce close to their own doctors and family in case of a serious accident or health event while abroad.

Healthcare in Huatulco

Finally, regarding healthcare in Huatulco, medical services offered in and around this area are good quality and can be similar to what you are used to. If you want to know more about this, read our article What You Need to Know About Healthcare in Huatulco.

Also don’t forget to check our informative guide on Effective and Affordable Healthcare in Mexico. This article outlines some of the costs and quality of care in Mexico. Read on. You may be surprised at the affordability.

Insuring Your Assets

Contents Insurance

If you are the owner of a property : you are definitely going to need Contents Insurance, this covers your property and its contents against water and fire damage as well as damages resulting from earthquakes, lightning, storms, explosions, burglary and theft.

Vehicle Insurance

If you have a vehicle, you should consider Vehicle Insurance given that Mexican law mandates that only insurance companies licensed in Mexico can provide the type of auto insurance coverage that is recognized and accepted in Mexico’s legal system.

For more info about these types of insurances and how to get them, check out our article Insure Yourself and Rest Easy.

Finally, always feel free to reach out to us if you need assistance.

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