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We just signed up for Mexico's free health insurance, called Seguro Popular. We have been told that we now need to register with a hospital in Guadalajara and that we need a Mexican who knows how to walk you through all the complications of doing that. Does anyone have the name and contact info of someone who can do that with us?

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I would be interested in "we have be told" who was that person??

Regardless if you are registered with IMSS or SP, you need to have some person fluent in Spanish/English to prevent incorrect treatment and to explain what problems you are experiencing etc.,

Most of us cannot explain fully to the garage mechanic our car problem..why take a chance with your health

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We just signed up for Mexico's free health insurance, called Seguro Popular. We have been told that we now need to register with a hospital in Guadalajara and that we need a Mexican who knows how to walk you through all the complications of doing that. Does anyone have the name and contact info of someone who can do that with us?

When I signed up I was told I need to visit the local clinic and then come back to the office to get a card. I visited the clinic but did not return to get a card.

I never heard anyone say he had to visit the hospital in Guadalajara to register. I think there must be a miscommunication or you registered in Jocotepec.

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The "card" is the contract that you receive...it should be laminated and must be shown whenever a service is provided...like getting drugs or being sent to the hospital...the contract might be for one year...up to three years and is easy to get renewed. Most people ask for and are assigned to a doctor and he/she is who you would see for you initial...and free ....blood work up.

you can PM us for more information as well as a contact for a bilingual Mexican who can and will help you with any problems for a charge of 100 pesos. It may cost a larger amount to accompanied to the SP hospital.

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When I signed up at the Chapala office I was given the name of a translator who is available to accompany patients on doctor/hospital visits. His name & number is Juan Carlos (33) 3468 5802. I have not yet contacted him so I do not know his rates or quality of service.

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Remember these programs are for POOR Mexicans. Even my maid and gardener don't use them. If you meet government income requirements for residence, how can you claim to be poor?

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Remember these programs are for POOR Mexicans. Even my maid and gardener don't use them. If you meet government income requirements for residence, how can you claim to be poor?

If this is true, almost no foreigners would be eligible. Did anyone have to lie to become a member of SP?

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Remember these programs are for POOR Mexicans. Even my maid and gardener don't use them. If you meet government income requirements for residence, how can you claim to be poor?

HarryB. I don´t see where that info. is up to date. Originally in 1999 until 2005 or so ,but not now. Calderon invited anyone [citizen or resident] to join it that does not have another socialized medicine plan. My wife just retired this year as a top administrator for the Secretaria de Salud. They can charge a family an annual payment from $0.00 up to $11,378 pesos.

The Seguro Polular and Centro de Salud system has evolved into sometime huge and growing and paralleling the IMSS in many large cities. In some rural áreas the Centro de Salud clinics even take IMSS patients and bill the IMSS under a contract because they are no IMSS clinics close enough in many rural áreas, not uncommon.

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HarryB. I don´t see where that info. is up to date. Originally in the ninties ,but not now. Calderon invited anyone [citizen or resident] to join it that does not have another socialized medicine plan. My wife just retired this year as a top administrator for the Secretaria de Salud. They can charge a family an anual payment from $0.00 up to $11,900 pesos.

The Seguro Polular and Centro de Salud system has evolved into sometime huge and growing and paralleling the IMSS in many large cities. In some rural área the Centro de Salud clinics even take IMSS patients and bill the IMSS under a contract because they are no IMSS clinics close enough in many rural áreas, not uncommon.

US citizens who are eligible for Medicare or "Obamacare" should not, be your definition, be eligible for Seguro Popular.

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US citizens who are eligible for Medicare or "Obamacare" should not, be your definition, be eligible for Seguro Popular.

Social workers when you enroll take your financial information and put it into the equation and pick one of the 10 payment classifications you fall into and that is your family annual payment. They do not ask about your home country or what you have or do there as you are now a legal resident of Mexico.

I didn´t think I needed to say ... another socialized medicine plan in Mexico. You can have any private medical plan you like in Mexico, That doesn´t break the rules.

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Social workers when you enroll take your financial information and put it into the equation and pick one of the 10 payment classifications you fall into and that is your family anual payment. They do not ask about your home country or what you have or do there as you are now a legal resident of Mexico.

What is the family annual payment classification if you meet the financial requirements for permanente ($60,000 USA mas o menos for a couple)?

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What is the family annual payment classification if you meet the financial requirements for permanente ($60,000 USA mas o menos for a couple)?

They count your income based on the disclosure you submit and do not care if you own a house. If you own rental property and have a yearly income and do submit documentation it will be calculated. No rental property in Mexico or no business then it will be calculated on your yearly income or in the case of retired non working Expats a pension and/or investment account yearly withdrawals etc. or whatever you submit.

I assume $60,000 US yearly income disclosed would put you in the top bracket of $11,378 pesos per family. [$900.00 US] . They do ask if you pay rent. I have the chart here somewhere, but the equation is not included.

Only a few percentage of the families that are enrolled pay anything.

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They count your income based on the disclosure you submit and do not care if you own a house. If you own rental property and have a yearly income and do submit documentation it will be calculated. No rental propetry in Mexico or no business then it will be calculated on your yearly income or in the case of retired non working Expats a pension and/or investment account yearly withdrawals etc. or whatever you submit.

I assume $60,000 US yearly income disclosed would put you in the top bracket of $11,378 pesos per family. [$900.00 US] . They do ask if you pay rent. I have the chart here somewhere, but the equation is not included.

Only a few of percent of the families that are enrolled pay anything.

Thank you

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I would strongly suggest that anyone with substantial income/assets living in Mexico should go and visit one of the Seguro Popular hospitals and decide if they would actually wish to be there for a week long stay, before they sign up.

It is a great program for the poor of Mexico who would otherwise go without medical care and hospitalization when they need it. Just because it's free or relatively cheap doesn't mean you'd want to use it. It's a far cry from what NOB private hospitals are like, or private hospitals in Mexico, either.

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The "card" is the contract that you receive...it should be laminated and must be shown whenever a service is provided...like getting drugs or being sent to the hospital...the contract might be for one year...up to three years and is easy to get renewed. Most people ask for and are assigned to a doctor and he/she is who you would see for you initial...and free ....blood work up.

you can PM us for more information as well as a contact for a bilingual Mexican who can and will help you with any problems for a charge of 100 pesos. It may cost a larger amount to accompanied to the SP hospital.

i never got a "card". I got a pink booklet with my name written inside and a piece of paper stating how long my contract is good for (3 years in my case). Other than going into the Centro de Salud in Chapala to register, I haven't been in to see a doctor.

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I would strongly suggest that anyone with substantial income/assets living in Mexico should go and visit one of the Seguro Popular hospitals and decide if they would actually wish to be there for a week long stay, before they sign up.

It is a great program for the poor of Mexico who would otherwise go without medical care and hospitalization when they need it. Just because it's free or relatively cheap doesn't mean you'd want to use it. It's a far cry from what NOB private hospitals are like, or private hospitals in Mexico, either.

The IMSS system covers a broad spectrum of the Mexican people not only "for the poor"

The SP I would suggest is intended to cover those who can not qualify for the IMSS and provides a safety net of sorts

It is not fair to compare either systems with NOB or Mexican private hospitails.......they are what they are, providing care for a minimum or no cost..various people have experienced different results etc, just like going to a restaurant at Lakeside, one person gets a wonderful meal the next person .... ugh

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i never got a "card". I got a pink booklet with my name written inside and a piece of paper stating how long my contract is good for (3 years in my case). Other than going into the Centro de Salud in Chapala to register, I haven't been in to see a doctor.

Like me I bet you need to see a doctor at the clinic to have your file set up and with the receipt (I think that is what I got) return to the SP office where you registered for the document that you need to have laminated. I never returned so I didn't get one.

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I would strongly suggest that anyone with substantial income/assets living in Mexico should go and visit one of the Seguro Popular hospitals and decide if they would actually wish to be there for a week long stay, before they sign up.

It is a great program for the poor of Mexico who would otherwise go without medical care and hospitalization when they need it. Just because it's free or relatively cheap doesn't mean you'd want to use it. It's a far cry from what NOB private hospitals are like, or private hospitals in Mexico, either.

I know people who have been in the SP hospital and it didn't bother them but if you have the means to pay for private care that is the way to go. SP is for those who cannot pay or who have moderate means which means far less than what we are required to have to live here.

Once you are signed up with SP you can have discounted healthcare at private hospitals. One man posted that he had his gallbladder removed at a private surgical clinic that was arranged by SP and it cost him $1000 USD compared to almost $4000 USD without SP.

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They count your income based on the disclosure you submit and do not care if you own a house. If you own rental property and have a yearly income and do submit documentation it will be calculated. No rental property in Mexico or no business then it will be calculated on your yearly income or in the case of retired non working Expats a pension and/or investment account yearly withdrawals etc. or whatever you submit.

I assume $60,000 US yearly income disclosed would put you in the top bracket of $11,378 pesos per family. [$900.00 US] . They do ask if you pay rent. I have the chart here somewhere, but the equation is not included.

Only a few percentage of the families that are enrolled pay anything.

It is in the law that all residents of Mexico are eligible for Seguro Popular.

When I signed up the rule was that all pensioners were not charged anything.

Very few foreigners will use SP anyway. Most of them will pay for medical care or go back home to get it. Signing up for SP is for emergencies for most foreigners, just something that is there if you have no other choice.

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Some posters should realize that there are many Residente Permanente visa holders in Mexico, who attained that status through a long unbroken string of previous visas. Some of them could never have met the current income requirements, and did not have to do so.

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All we got when we signed up in Chapala was a piece of paper with our names on it and showing the expiration date of the program (based on the expiration of our FM3). It is not something that can be laminated, so how do we get our cards?

In answer to the person who questioned our eligibility for the program, we are both over 75 and cannot qualify for ANY OTHER insurance here in Mexico,.

To Barbara Habacht: any other information you might have for us would be appreciated, such as the contact information for a translator who can assist us with the rest of the process. You can email me directly at jbrickman@mac.com

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