[hkrause]

We are considering a move to Lakeside within the next few years. I've been researching for several years to come up with a projected budget on cost of living and think I have a fairly good handle on everything except what it will cost for health insurance. Would appreciate some help to fill that hole in my spreadsheet...

First, I'm not looking for contact info to get quotes at this time. I have all that from reading other posts here, thanks. Since we're not ready to make the move, it's probably better to wait until the time is closer so we don't waste an agent's time. For right now, I'm just looking for an approximate price range so I can plug some numbers into my budget.

Details: At retirement, hubby will be 62, I'll be 55. He's in excellent health, I'm average. We'll get IMSS for catastrophic coverage, but probably not use it for typical doctor visits, etc. We'd like to find out what costs are for private insurance on top of IMSS. I'm curious about coverage in MX only (using supplemental travel policy if we take a trip elsewhere), and also international insurance (in case we decide to travel more frequently). High deductible is acceptable to keep regular premium costs down.

What I'd like to know is what people are paying for various flavors of private insurance, so we can get some idea what to expect for budget planning. Yes, I understand everybody's circumstances are different and a personal quote is the only way to really narrow things down, but we don't need narrow for now... just a ballpark figure. If you'd be willing to give some idea of your own costs, it would be very helpful. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to put your info on the board. Or just respond to the poll (which hopefully will work, since I've never put up a poll before).

Thanks so much!

Heather

============
ADDENDUM
============

I have placed a report online, containing consolidated info from this thread. Read Message #79 for details on how to locate the report and the original Excel file. These files will be updated occasionally if I receive additional information.

In the meantime, PLEASE don't flood the thread with commentary on health insurance issues other than the cost of private insurance in Mexico. Yeah, we know things are a mess NOB. This is not the place to rant about it, however. Thanks for your consideration!

Heather

[newinajijic]

Age 66 - Male - Segurous Monterrey - Unlimited Coverage in Mexico & International - Cost $ 2,485. per year - $ 16,500. MXP deductible - You can get much higher deductibles - Best Company for coverage anywhere because they ONLY deal in Health Insurance backed by New York Life Insurance.

Cost is NOT a factor in Health Ins, quality and coverage is. I have had two experiences with my Insurance company, both excellent.

Others may disagree, but other Companies have Deductibles and Limits. Watch out. I would NEVER have IMSS. You get what you pay for. Even my Physical Therapist won't have IMSS.

[Doolittle]

You don't need private insurance if you have IMSS or vice versa. There is no insurance for routine office visits, physical, lab work, or maintenance prescription. We have private insurance with no upper limit, $25,000 Peso deductible per occurance. She's 55 and I'm 67, cost is $40,000 Pesos. I suggest you budget in Pesos and then make 3 assumptions on exchange rates. Budgeting is $ is risky as exchange rates vary and everything here is priced in $Pesos.

[hkrause]

Thanks for the comments and votes. We're not certain which way we'll go with IMSS vs insurance, so we figure we'll opt in (IMSS) to start and see how things go after it takes full effect (as I recall, you're not fully covered for everything until 3 years, right?). Until IMSS full coverage kicks in, we'll both have private insurance. After IMSS is in full effect, depending on our comfort with the IMSS system, what private insurance is running at that point, and how our investments/retirement plans seem to be going, we might decide to drop private insurance on one or both of us.

To start with, however, I think we'd prefer the comfort level of having at least some sort of private insurance while we test the IMSS waters.

Yes, I've seen the exchange rate fluctuations. I believe it was around 10p to the Dollar when I first started researching. Seems like things went to 14p or so at one point, now it's back to 12.65p today, as I write this. Still, for my purposes, I just want to get a general idea in $US to plug into my worksheet. All of it's going to change within a year or two anyway. I'm just going for a snapshot... will adjust to be more specific later.

Thanks again for everybody's input!

Heather

[Shawna]

hkrause, on 04 March 2010 - 06:22 PM, said:

Thanks for the comments and votes. We're not certain which way we'll go with IMSS vs insurance, so we figure we'll opt in (IMSS) to start and see how things go after it takes full effect (as I recall, you're not fully covered for everything until 3 years, right?). Until IMSS full coverage kicks in, we'll both have private insurance. After IMSS is in full effect, depending on our comfort with the IMSS system, what private insurance is running at that point, and how our investments/retirement plans seem to be going, we might decide to drop private insurance on one or both of us.

To start with, however, I think we'd prefer the comfort level of having at least some sort of private insurance while we test the IMSS waters.

Yes, I've seen the exchange rate fluctuations. I believe it was around 10p to the Dollar when I first started researching. Seems like things went to 14p or so at one point, now it's back to 12.65p today, as I write this. Still, for my purposes, I just want to get a general idea in $US to plug into my worksheet. All of it's going to change within a year or two anyway. I'm just going for a snapshot... will adjust to be more specific later.

Thanks again for everybody's input!

Heather

I am 57 ....my husband is 62.....We use Allianze...with $2000 USD deductuble....pay 33,000 pesos per year. The reason so cheap...you can't sue...MD may end up in jail for bad process.....BTW same goes for auto....really cheap....Tort reform...no lawsuits

[traderspoc]

Budget about $3500 a year or 5% of your income whatever is higher.


I am under budjet on medical care this year


what left over goes into next year budget to prepare for emergency.


this covers IMSS, other medical expenses.

This is considering you in normal health. No major health problems,

[El Toro Furioso]

My wife has the New York Life policy *Seguros Monterrey) and, at age 62, it costs her about $2,300 USD per year ($10,000 USD deductible). When we first moved to the Lake Chapala area in 2005, I also applied for this insurance but was turned down for high blood pressure. I had never had hypertension before, but have since learned that moving from sea level to well over a kilometer altitude (almost a mile high) can increase BP significantly. So get your BP checked before you sign up for private insurance if you are "moving up" (in altitude). They will also check your teeth, so be sure to get any needcd fillings and probably a tooth cleaning before you apply. If you are over 60 years old, be sure that your height-to-weight ratio keeps your TBF (total body fat) low or they will reject you, especially if you are a male. If you feel healthy, don't assume that you will have any alternative other than IMSS for insurance when you move to Mexico. Consider getting a full physical from your US doctor before your move, and bring a copy of his report with you. On the Social Security (Mexican IMSS) side, there are as many stories of good experiences with (informed) use of IMSS as there are of bad experiences. It certainly requires fluency in Spanish or a translator. Unlike my wife, I only have IMSS insurance. I don't count on dealing with them unless I end up with a story that will either be good or not told for lack of a story teller. ¡Buena suerte! ¡Qué le vaya bien!

[hkrause]

El Toro Furioso, on 04 March 2010 - 11:49 PM, said:

My wife has the New York Life policy *Seguros Monterrey) and, at age 62, it costs her about $2,300 USD per year ($10,000 USD deductible). When we first moved to the Lake Chapala area in 2005, I also applied for this insurance but was turned down for high blood pressure. I had never had hypertension before, but have since learned that moving from sea level to well over a kilometer altitude (almost a mile high) can increase BP significantly. ...

Interesting. Does this apply even if someone has high BP that's controlled with meds? Maybe we should have our BP checked next time we're in town. Is there someplace in Chapala/Ajijic where one can get this done on a walk-in basis?

Or maybe we should be considering a move to sea level instead of the mountains. Yeah... I always wanted an excuse to move in with my brother in Honolulu!

Any other folks here who have been turned down for insurance based on things like high BP or being overweight? If so, were you able to eventually get insurance from another company, or are such things just an indication that you're SOL in MX?

Heather

[newinajijic]

My friend had high BP and was NOT turned down by Segurous Monterrey. They gave him a different policy which was priced slightly higher.

He asked the Rep Edgar Cedeno that if he could prove to Seguros Monterrey that his BP was normal for two weeks and the Doctor certified it, could he get the better policy. The answer was yes and his BP is normal now. He has the better policy without pre existing conditions.

You can walk in to any clinic here for a BP check.

[tobyjug]

El Toro Furioso, on 05 March 2010 - 12:49 AM, said:

My wife has the New York Life policy *Seguros Monterrey) and, at age 62, it costs her about $2,300 USD per year ($10,000 USD deductible). When we first moved to the Lake Chapala area in 2005, I also applied for this insurance but was turned down for high blood pressure. I had never had hypertension before, but have since learned that moving from sea level to well over a kilometer altitude (almost a mile high) can increase BP significantly. So get your BP checked before you sign up for private insurance if you are "moving up" (in altitude). They will also check your teeth, so be sure to get any needcd fillings and probably a tooth cleaning before you apply. If you are over 60 years old, be sure that your height-to-weight ratio keeps your TBF (total body fat) low or they will reject you, especially if you are a male. If you feel healthy, don't assume that you will have any alternative other than IMSS for insurance when you move to Mexico. Consider getting a full physical from your US doctor before your move, and bring a copy of his report with you. On the Social Security (Mexican IMSS) side, there are as many stories of good experiences with (informed) use of IMSS as there are of bad experiences. It certainly requires fluency in Spanish or a translator. Unlike my wife, I only have IMSS insurance. I don't count on dealing with them unless I end up with a story that will either be good or not told for lack of a story teller. ¡Buena suerte! ¡Qué le vaya bien!

There are pre condition exceptions with IMSS

[Chippy]

This is a great thread. Very helpful for those of us planning budgets. I hope others will share the specifics of their policies (costs, age of insured, company, etc). Thanks to hkrause for starting the thread.

[hkrause]

tobyjug, on 05 March 2010 - 04:10 PM, said:

There are pre condition exceptions with IMSS

I'm not following... what does this mean? Sorry for being dense. Does that mean IMSS won't cover certain things if you use them for medical after moving there?? Thanks for clarifying!

Heather

[Doolittle]

One must be in the IMSS system for 3 years to be fully covered. There are pre-existing conditions (I don't know the details) that expire as time passes.

[Steve305]

A popular website My Life in Mexico by Rolly Brook appears to contain up-to-date information.

One personal story from the health care page:
"We have ING major medical policy for Mexico with emergency coverage when out of Mexico -- no matter where in the world – up to US$50,000 (dollars). The US$50,000 is intended to cover you in an emergency and give you an opportunity to get back to Mexico for primary treatment.

We just paid our annual major medical premium today. I am 64 and paid $13,274 Pesos and my wife, who is 59, paid MX$10,867Pesos for a total annual premium of MX$24,141 (pesos) (or about US$2,200 per annum/$183 a month) with a MX$25,000 deductible. That is for the "Cliente Especial" coverage which includes a private suite for hospital stays in top hospitals of my choice.

I figure similar coverage in the U.S. would cost me at least six times that much in premiums - probably more -- and the hospitals in Guadalajara are a hell of a lot nicer than any hospitals I have seen in the U.S."

I hope Mr. Brook doesn't mind me using this info with attribution. In fairness to him, his book The Best How-To Book on Moving to Mexico comes highly recommended. I will buy a copy to finalize my planning.

I am at a similar stage in planning and this is a very interesting and helpful thread.

[Mainecoons]

This is very interesting and helpful.

Question: How much do policies increase with age? I get the feeling that premiums really escalate with age. Is this true?

[newinajijic]

Mainecoons, on 07 March 2010 - 11:02 AM, said:

This is very interesting and helpful.

Question: How much do policies increase with age? I get the feeling that premiums really escalate with age. Is this true?

Yes, they do increase YEARLY with age. Here's an example for Seguros Monterrey that started at 59 and is now 65 in 2010.
2004 - $ 5,000. MXP Deductible - $ 15,057.
2005 - $ 5,000. MXP Deductible - $ 20,541.
2006 - cannot find
2007 - $ 10,000. MXP Deductible - $ 24,646.
2008 - $ 10,000. MXP Deductible - $ 29,624.
2009 - $ 16,500. MXP Deductible - $ 31,422. or at 12.75 xchg rate - $2465. USD

Still waaay cheaper and better than ANY US Policy.

Folks, check each Company seperately as there is a BIG difference between companies. Seguros Monterrey may be higher priced, but you get what you pay for. Other Companies have Limits on Coverages. SM has NO LIMITS.

So it you have Catastrophiic Illness like Heart, Diabetes or Cancer, etc you won't run out of Coverage wheras other Companies have limits. The only Limits are $ 50,000. USD when being treated in the US until you return here.

[hkrause]

Doolittle, on 06 March 2010 - 07:41 PM, said:

One must be in the IMSS system for 3 years to be fully covered. There are pre-existing conditions (I don't know the details) that expire as time passes.

Ah, I see. Yes, I knew they didn't cover everything until 3 years. I thought maybe you meant there were some pre-existing conditions they *never* covered. Thanks for the clarification.

Heather

[hkrause]

Steve305, on 07 March 2010 - 05:24 AM, said:

A popular website My Life in Mexico by Rolly Brook appears to contain up-to-date information. ...

Have to laugh... I got your emails before checking here, and also sent you the recommendation on Rolly's website! Yes, actually, we spent time last night going back over the entire section he has on medical coverage options and costs. A great collection of comments from various people.

Heather

[hkrause]

There seem to be quite a few votes in the poll (about 35% of respondents) showing people paying Zero to $50 per month per person for health insurance. Any comments from people in this range as to what you're using (which Insurance company, IMSS, self-insured, etc)??

Thanks so much to everybody who has added their info. We're getting enough votes that it's starting to show a general idea of costs and what people are using. I really appreciate the helpful input and comments!

Heather

[Kevin K]

Thanks for starting this thread.

My wife and I are in that $0-50 category. We've been living at Lakeside full-time for about 14 months and have dragged out heels about applying for IMSS but are finally doing so - and sincerely hoping never to use the coverage.

We had an ultra high-deductible HSA plan in the U.S. that we dropped when we moved down. We are live on a very modest income that got a lot more modest thanks to the market meltdown and what we were paying in premiums for our HSA plan left no money leftover for actual health care, so we've spent a tiny fraction of those premiums this past year catching up on dental work, routine exams and preventive care. I also had one fairly serious accident and paid for everything out of pocket at what I estimate was less than 10% of U.S. costs, for far more caring and timely care.

We've looked into private insurance and while it is certainly far better value than U.S. policies it's still prohibitively expensive for us. I've talked to dozens of people who've had to cover quite major procedures out-of-pocket here, often because they were in the first three years of IMSS and didn't have full coverage, and the decisive difference here is not only can you find out what things will cost ahead of time but you can cover most situations out of pocket, taking a big hit but not being bankrupted as you would in the U.S. To us as lower-income retirees a $30,000-60,000 bill for a major heart disease or cancer would be a big chunk, but you can add a zero to those figures for U.S. care - which would break us.

There are lots of excellent doctors here, and I can't say enough about the quality, timeliness and affordability of the care. We'd actually like to return to the U.S. at some point and spend perhaps 3 months a year down here; now what I'm looking for is some sort of reverse MediVac coverage that would fly us down here for treatment in the event of something serious, because neither one of us can stomach the thought of returning to the absurd costs, endless insurance company B.S. and bureaucracy of the U.S. medical system after living down here.