Health insurance in Mexico

Do you want to move to Mexico? Because of the attractive climate, the increasing number of interesting professional opportunities, and the proximity to the United States? Why is it essential to purchase health insurance in Mexico?

Mexico’s health care system

The Mexican health care system is managed by a public and a private sector. Residents in Mexico have the choice to be treated in one or the other depending on their income. The public sector is much more affordable in terms of price, however it is severely understaffed which leads to longer waiting times and poor quality of care. In addition, most Mexicans seek care in public facilities because they cannot afford private care. The private system offers much more comprehensive and quality care, with much shorter waiting times. As mentioned above, the cost of accessing private care is much higher.
The IMSS (Governmental Institute of Social Security) is the mandatory health insurance set up by the government. All residents in Mexico must join the local health system and therefore subscribe to IMSS. There is also the ISSSTE (Mexican Institute of Social Security and Public Service) for public sector employees.

Local insurance in Mexico

IMSS is mandatory for all workers residing in Mexico. This insurance covers the cost of routine medical care, hospitalization, surgery and the purchase of medication. When you sign up for IMSS, you will be affiliated with a doctor and will not be able to change. Costs are covered only if you seek care in the public sector. While IMSS covers private sector workers, ISSSTE covers federal workers only. These two public insurances cover about 60% of the Mexican population. The rest of the population is either covered by private medical insurance or not covered at all. The advantage of private health insurance is the ease with which people can access medical care, especially in hospitals.
IMSS has signed an agreement with the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that Mexican workers abroad can extend social security coverage to their families and reactivate their social security fund.

How to consult a general practitioner or specialist in Mexico?

You are an expatriate and want to consult a doctor once you are in Mexico. We recommend that you contact your embassy, which will put you in touch with medical advisors. These doctors will direct you to qualified colleagues who are recognized for their ability to treat you in the best conditions.
You can also consult a doctor in a pharmacy because each pharmacy has a doctor on staff.
The price of a consultation with a doctor in Mexico is approximately 400 pesos (17 euros). In addition, you can also make use of home visits, as this service is very common in some parts of Mexico.
The price of a consultation with a specialist in Mexico is approximately 800 pesos (34 euros).
An equivalent of paracetamol in Mexico is Tempra and costs $82, or 1670 pesos. There is another drug equivalent to Paracetamol, Mejoral, which is much cheaper: $19 or 390 pesos.

Examples of average prices of medical treatments in Mexico according to the IMSS

• Diabetes: 131,000 pesos/year
• Hypertension: 76,000 pesos/year
• Caesarean section: 20,000 to 47,000 pesos
• Appendicitis operation: 35,000 to 40,000 pesos
• Chemotherapy session: 7090 pesos
• Childbirth: 12335 pesos
• 1 day of hospitalization: 9272 pesos
• Surgical intervention: 8257 pesos
• 1 day of hospitalization in intensive care: 44151 pesos

The cost of care indicated is the result of public care, for private care, it will be more expensive.
Example of average prices for dental operations:

• Scaling: 500 to 1000 pesos
• Dental resin: 850 pesos
• Dental crown: 600 pesos/ tooth
• Dental implant: 500 pesos/piece

Examples of other service:

• Glasses: 500 pesos for the frame + glasses = 3000 pesos
• Private hospital : between 700 and 8000 pesos
• 35000 pesos for a day of hospitalization.

The emergency service in Mexico

The emergency number in Mexico is 911. The emergency service operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You will be taken care of wherever you are in Mexico.

• Emergency room: 671 pesos
• Ambulance transfer: 506 pesos
• 1 day at the hospital: 9272 pesos

The health situation in Mexico

To cross the border by land or by air and enter Mexico, you will not be asked for proof of a negative test for covid. The Mexican government does not impose any restrictions related to the pandemic. In fact, a health pass is not required in public and tourist areas in Mexico. We recommend that you have a complete vaccination schedule and international insurance to cover the cost of Covid in case of hospitalization.

• Covid test: 15000 to 30000 pesos
• Package of 10 surgical masks: 50 pesos
• Anti-bacterial gel: 24 pesos

It is essential for you to take an international insurance for Covid because the hospital fees in case of Covid are extremely high: between 80,000 to 100,000 pesos per day or at least 3,400 euros per day and it can amount to more than 4000 euros.

What vaccinations are required for expatriation to Mexico?

The following vaccinations are mandatory before moving to Mexico: Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. Rabies and malaria are strongly recommended.
We also recommend that you protect yourself against mosquito bites by wearing loose clothing and using repellents. You should also take medication in case of a reaction to a mosquito bite that your doctor may prescribe before your expatriation. There is no vaccine or medication to deal with dengue fever, hence the importance of being careful and taking precautions.
You can also ask your doctor to prescribe an antibiotic treatment in anticipation of turista.

How to get your children treated in Mexico?

In Mexico, there is the National Pediatric Institute of Mexico, which is attached to the Mexican Secretariat of Health. The mission of this organization is to train specialists in pediatrics at the national and international levels. The average price of a consultation with a pediatrician is approximately 600 pesos or 26 euros.
In order to choose a good pediatrician, you can start by asking people you know to recommend a pediatrician they trust. You can also ask expatriate consultants if they know a pediatrician among their acquaintances.

Maternity and pregnancy in Mexico

In order for your pregnancy to go smoothly in Mexico, we recommend that you have private international insurance that covers your maternity expenses so that you can go to private facilities. Indeed, in Mexico the waiting time and the quality of care is superior in private hospitals, almost similar to European hospitals. In any case, you will not see any difference.
Furthermore, we advise you, depending on the city where you are located, to get in touch with other expatriates who could recommend a doctor or a gynecologist. You can get in touch with them by searching on internet forums.

Some examples of medical expenses related to a maternity according to the IMSS:

• Delivery : 15000 to 30000 pesos
• Cesarean section: 20,000 to 47,000 pesos
• X-ray: 360 pesos
• Ultrasound : 571 pesos
• Axial tomography: 2780 pesos
• Hemodialysis session: 5021 pesos

During your pregnancy, you will be monitored by an obstetrician or gynecologist until you give birth. On average, you will have three ultrasounds to ensure that the baby is growing well.
There is no real post-pregnancy follow-up in Mexico. When you give birth in a hospital, nurses will assist the doctor. There are very few midwives in Mexico. We recommend that you try to contact expatriate midwives if you need one.

Do I need to take out Mexico health insurance?

Mexico is one of the countries with high medical costs, and there is a big difference between public and private health organizations. Mondassur strongly advises you to take out private medical insurance for Mexico before leaving to work, travel or do an internship in Mexico. On the one hand, some medical expenses in Mexico are not insignificant. For example, the cost of Covid care can be as high as 100,000 pesos per day, or more than 4,000 euros. Taking out a private international insurance policy will allow you to fully enjoy Mexico without the risk of running up huge bills when leaving the hospital.
In addition, the mandatory Mexican health insurance does not cover repatriation to your home country in case of emergency.
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What health insurance for Mexico?

Buy GoldExpat insurance for your expatriation in Mexico

• Mondassur recommends that you take out international health insurance as soon as you leave for Mexico. Mexico GoldExpat insurance is perfectly suited to your needs:
  It includes 100% coverage of actual hospitalization costs. It is mandatory to be insured at 100% of the hospitalization costs in Mexico because you cannot rely on public hospitals that are too full and have extremely long waiting times. Being treated in a private hospital is much more reassuring in terms of quality of care and much shorter waiting times.
• Your current medical expenses will be covered up to 90% or 80% depending on the formula chosen. Even though the price of local medicines is low, with GoldExpat you can afford to buy medicines imported from abroad. These more expensive drugs will most likely be safer and more effective than local ones.
• Liability coverage, which means that in addition to being insured, you will also be covered for unintentional damage to others. In Mexico, the accident rate on the road is quite high.

Don’t waste time, get a free quote on our website and/or contact us by email or phone to get more precise information according to your situation.