Healthcare Insurance
Private Insurance Overview
Although life insurance in Mexico is comparatively expensive, health insurance costs are relatively less expensive than in other countries in North and South America. There are, of course, various levels of healthcare services, insurance coverage and deductibles… enough variety so that you can find a policy that covers your needs for your desired budget and services.
A resident visa (FM2 or FM3) is required to purchase a private healthcare insurance policy for treatment in Mexico.
Quality, Availability and Cost of Private Healthcare
Quality private medical care is available in every big city in Mexico, with doctor’s training on the level of their colleagues in the United States and Canada. In truth, most doctors in Mexico do some amount of their training in one of those two countries nowadays, and it is unusual to find a doctor who doesn’t speak some English for that reason. The requirement to be a doctor in Mexico is comparable to that in the United States, and some doctors are better than others. It is always wise to get a personal referral to a doctor if possible.
Prices for routine medical care in the private sector are higher than those provided by the government but are cheap in comparison to the cost in other countries. For instance, most doctor office visits cost between $30 and $50 USD, and many expats choose to pay for these expenses out of pocket, reserving their insurance for catastrophic events.
Insurance companies in Mexico have agreements with hospitals and doctors. With private health insurance, you do not pay the cost of treatment since it is directly paid by the insurance company to the hospital.
When you sign up for private health insurance, just as in the US and Canada, you will have to fill out a form stating all of your previous ailments and surgeries. If you have a preexisting condition, the insurance company may refuse to pay for expenses related to that condition. The insurance company may also require you to take a physical exam before issuing a health insurance policy.
All private health insurance has two key components: deductible and coinsurance.
Deductible
The deductible is the cost of treatment above which the insurance will begin coverage.
Deductibles are typically $500 USD. Expenses incurred under this amount will always be covered by the insured. For amounts higher than the deductible, an insurance claim must be filed.
Coinsurance
Coinsurance is a percentage of the total medical expenses that you must pay on all expenses greater than the deductible. The remaining amount (after coinsurance) will be covered by the insurance.
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Hospital quality ‐ Type and quality of hospitals
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Deductible ‐ Amount the insured (you) always have to cover, before the insurance starts to pay.
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Coinsurance ‐ Percentage of the final bill, minus the deductible, the insured has to pay.
Most insurance companies have a coinsurance limit averaging $4000 USD per incident. This would be the maximum amount you would have to pay after the deductible.
Deductibles are applied to an incident of an illness or an accident. For example, if you contracted smallpox, the total of all costs associated with curing you of your smallpox (even if it took three years) would be subjected to the deductible. On the other hand, if you contracted smallpox, polio and dengue fever all in one year, you would be obligated to pay the deductible first for each one before being reimbursed for the remainder of the costs.
Hospital quality is a bit more complicated. You do not choose the hospitals, but you choose the “level” of hospital that your treatment will be covered at. Hospital levels vary with each insurance company, depending on their individual agreements with each hospital. It is possible that a given hospital could be Top Level with one insurance company and Low Level with another. Therefore, it is important to check which hospitals are included under your coverage when you are contracting for health insurance from a Mexican insurance company.
Reliable insurance Companies for health insurance:
- GNP (Grupo Nacional Provincial)
- Allianz Mexico
- Seguros Atlas
- Metlife Mexico
- AXA Seguros
- Plan Seguro
Information provided by: CARSA insurance brokers, with over 30 years of experience in the insurance market.
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