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Let’s be honest, anyone considering moving overseas has medical care concerns. You might be running away from the broken US system or coming from elsewhere wondering about the “trade-offs” you’ll be making.
Care is the most personal of my Choosing Mexico “C” rankings. Your lifestyle and the ethereal world of what’s “good” care are very personal determinations. Before leading you to explore this topic in the Choosing Mexico TOPIC stream, know that U.S. retirees (Canadians too) have a unique ability to play the international care “game.” Cobbling together a combination of US and overseas care regimens is working for hundreds of thousands of expats. I’ll discuss this matter below.
How about Mexico for “quality” medical care? If you had to WRITE DOWN three stereotypical images of Mexican medical care, what would they be? Don’t be shy.
Instead of ME telling you the truths and myths of medical care, I’d like you to STOP HERE and visit the TOPICS STREAMS at https://members.choosingmexico.com/topics
(Yes, that’s me in a Guadalajara hospital gown, and my mom Maureen at a care facility in Ajijic).
Okay, here are some takeaways that will help you get comfortable with a local destination’s care community. Our one-to-five RANKINGS try to reflect the diversity of medical care options:
To be fair, amongst the expat/retirement options discussed within this community, there are no “1” and many 4-5 rankings. Care is very tied to the rural versus urban landscape. Rural, remote place have more challenges that bigger cities, that’s just a reality.
Care quality is also relevant in the “coast versus highlands” matter. ALL of Mexico’s finest private hospitals are in central Mexican big cities (CDMX, Guadalajara, Monterrey) or along the more populous border cities of the north (Tijuana in particular).
Also consider that going “out-of-pocket” (without Mexican health insurance) is a suitable option for many. Office visits, lab work, diagnostics and medication are a fraction of the back-home cost. It’s hospitalization and emergency care that complicate matters, and most expats rely on a combination of “international” private insurance, air evac, and a US/Canadian hospital plan (in many cases Medicare). Note that except in very specific situations, Medicare MAY NOT BE USED in Mexico.
Private care insurance in Mexico is a cottage industry, and you’ll easily find AGENTS representing several insurance underwriters. These policies come with high deductibles but are also good around the world (including the US for “travel emergencies”).
CLICK HERE for a wealth of information about medical care and insurance coverage.
For specifics about medical insurance options, our partner at Mexperience produces this summary of options
As for wellness, Mexico can shake-up your diet and exercise routines. In good ways. Eating fresh vegetables and fruit, hiking, swimming, cycling, and walking more are all part of the Mexico for living reality.
Pickle ball anyone?
