Health care for age 75 plus years?

[Sonia]

Suzie here is information re: Mexican healthcare: http://www.soniadiaz.mx/health-care.html

saludos

Sonia

[AlanMexicali]

You can sign up at any age for Seguro Popular, the national medical insurance program. You can sign up for IMSS, another program, but there is a waiting period to cover pre-existing conditions, and there are fees involved. (Modest ones, compared to private insurance.)

Some pre-existing diseases will not let you enroll in the IMSS, others have a waiting period.

" For their part, workers who have never contributed or who wish to make such registration after 12 months of grace can not be insured if they have pre-existing diseases such as malignant tumors, chronic degenerative diseases such as diabetes mellitus complications; liver disease or chronic renal [kidney] failure; addictions or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, among others."

"WAITING TIMES

The insured may receive care from the Institute on the conditions and treatments mentioned then only after a period of waiting times.

"Six months:

Benign breast tumor.

Ten months:

Delivery.

One year:

Gynecological surgery conditions.

Surgery of venous insufficiency and varicose veins.

Sinus surgery and nose.

Tonsil.

Hernia surgery except intervertebral disc herniation.

Strabismus surgery.

Among others.

Two years:

Orthopedic surgery."

http://eleconomista.com.mx/finanzas-personales/2012/02/19/como-contratar-seguro-salud-imss

[gringal]

Not to create controversy - but I would really like to know. Does anyone have personal experience of medivac/skyvac actually transporting a patient to the U.S.A.? When this was discussed in Puerto Vallarta, apparently their obligation is to transport the patient to the nearest Tier (#?) hospital, and that was Puerto Vallarta or Guadalajara. This was for things like heart attack or stroke. No one knew of anyone actually riding a private air ambulance to the U.S. on the insurance company's dime.

You could possibly get Seguro Popular to work for you, but you will have to invest in at least one year of Spanish lessons and be prepared for a culture shock. The number 1 reason that people permanently return to the U.S. is health reasons requiring access medicare

Oh heck, let's have a little polite controversy. There seem to be as many opinions on the matter as posters willing to step up to the plate and state them.

So: maybe she speaks some Spanish already? Or, maybe she's not going to need a year to learn enough of it to get by. There's a number of translation devices out that, with minimal Spanish, would get most people through. For example, my husband's Physical Therapist speaks almost zero English and mi esposo is nearly deaf and not skilled in Spanish. They have been successfully "communicating" for weeks now, with the help of her carry around device. Lots of laughing on both sides in the process.

I'm not surprised that health is the number 1 reason people head back to the states, but I think they would be well advised to get with Senor Google, do the research and learn just where U.S. hospitals stand in the world ratings for successful outcomes. The aren't number one in any respect except cost. They are, in fact, shamefully low on the scale. However, one should never underestimate the power of "belief" in relation to cure.

Re IMSS insurance costs: probably less than the yearly copays under Medicare, and I believe they are capped at age 80.

Seguro Popular is much less.

Judging from simple observation of my extranero friends and neighbors, there are vast differences in physical fitness and general health among people of the same age group, so good advice for one isn't applicable to all.

[cedros]

Not to create controversy - but I would really like to know. Does anyone have personal experience of medivac/skyvac actually transporting a patient to the U.S.A.? When this was discussed in Puerto Vallarta, apparently their obligation is to transport the patient to the nearest Tier (#?) hospital, and that was Puerto Vallarta or Guadalajara. This was for things like heart attack or stroke. No one knew of anyone actually riding a private air ambulance to the U.S. on the insurance company's dime.

You could possibly get Seguro Popular to work for you, but you will have to invest in at least one year of Spanish lessons and be prepared for a culture shock. The number 1 reason that people permanently return to the U.S. is health reasons requiring access medicare

Skymed will transport you to wherever you want in the US or Canada. I know of several people who have had this done.

[lakeside7]

I figure that Heart attack and Stroke are the 2 major catastrophe issues for seniors that are unpredictable....., Then I guess knees and hips are the major surgery issues for us seniors......recently my friends paid 140,000+pesos for a hip surgery and 170,000+pesos for two knees

I would be happy to hear from other people who have recently had surgery "privately" ..or from the IMSS or Seguro Popular, what contribution did they have to pay?

[Joco]

I have a friend who had knee replacement at SP and she paid nothing. She thought the medical care was excellent. Soon she will have cataract surgery at SP.

[Kyle]

I really doubt you could get IMSS. I am 61 in excellent health, work out 3 days a week and they turned me down. I used a legal office to go with me at each appointment and they always found a health reason, last time they said i was a diabetic. Went to my own doctor who ran test and the test showed not. At your age I would not count on getting IMSS. they do not want any more gringos at an older age and try everything to turn you down. Just thought you should know before you make the big move. Research Seguro Popular before you decide.

[gringal]

I really doubt you could get IMSS. I am 61 in excellent health, work out 3 days a week and they turned me down. I used a legal office to go with me at each appointment and they always found a health reason, last time they said i was a diabetic. Went to my own doctor who ran test and the test showed not. At your age I would not count on getting IMSS. they do not want any more gringos at an older age and try everything to turn you down. Just thought you should know before you make the big move. Research Seguro Popular before you decide.

That's unfortunate.

However, I'm no youngster, and both my spouse and I have had IMSS for around 7 years. No problems. Neither of us had any pre-existing conditions, however. I know quite a few older gringos who have had the insurance, used it and were content. But as usual, YMMV. Neither of us have used it as yet. We pay as we go, but there are conditions that could change that.

[Kyle]

You applied 7 years ago that was before they required physicals done by their own IMSS labs and they controlled the results . I would like to hear from anyone who has applied and received IMSS in the last 2 years. Most lawyers will tell you gringos are wasting their time as they will not be approved .

[SuzieQ1954]

Great info! Thanks so much for all your feedback. I am starting to learn Spanish, although I had 2 yrs about 15 yrs ago. It is mostly gone. Living in the San Antonio area affords me opportunity to try out my meager lingo. All are helpful when I flub it.

My "free" Medicare, parts B & D, plus my supplement cost me almost $500/mo. Two of my current medications are not covered by my Part D Medicare, and their costs are jumping dramatically. Seguro Popular is looking better all the time. I will talk with an agent during my December/January visit. I am so excited to return, even if only for 2 weeks this time. But it sounds like a lot has changed in the 10 years since my last visit. A Wal Mart!! Dominoes Pizza!!!! Whoa! I'm looking forward to the Tiengus (sp?) on Wednesday with all those beautiful fruits and veggies.

[SuzieQ1954]

I mention the fresh fruits and veggies, because I love cooking "fresh." The slower pace at lakeside will allow me time to indulge that side of me more than I do now. Will also love being able to walk places, although I know I will trade dodging traffic for uneven walkways, etc. A friend once said, when I was living in Libya, we just trade one set of frustrations for another. Lakeside may be close to paradise, but it isn't paradise. I caution my daughter who will be visiting for the first time and is so excited about moving she can hardly contain herself. I, too, am excited, but I think, perhaps, I am more atuned to the reality.

[RickS]

Not relevant to the OP's question but is relevant to Medicare alternatives in the US that have been discussed here.....

Much is said here about the "high cost" of Medicare/Supplementals but there has been a suitable option to this combination for several years.... called Medicare Advantage. I have had this and only this for about 10 years now and find it a very suitable and much less expensive alternative to having traditional Medicare along with a private Supplemental policy. And for the first 5 years I had it the monthly premium was..... $0! Two years it went up $15/mo. but with my AARP version it is now back to $0. And it also includes the Part D Rx benefit without extra charge and a low co-pay, especially for generic prescriptions. Even non-generic is covered at nowhere near their normal cost.

Yes, there are co-pays for doctor/specialist visits (currently $15/$50 per) and co-insurance if one goes into the hospital or has an MRI for example, but even counting all those the cost comes nowhere close to paying for a skyrocketing monthly Medicare Supplemental policy. AND, it pays for my wife's (and mine if I would just use it!) gym membership. There is also a not-to-exceed yearly out of pocket maximum, currently $3,500 with ours.... that we have never come close to reaching... that is comforting to have in case something serious came up one year.

Anyway, when comparing it seem that no one ever mentions this low-cost, excellent coverage program. Millions of seniors have this coverage these days in the US.

End of rant....

[Colo-Rick]

Before we went North last fall, we used a clinic in Riberas just West of where MaGaña was. If we had coverage in the US that had a network and out of network coverage, they would check and get their services covered by that insurance and bill that coverage. So there was no out of pocket. Knock on their door and ask for Dr. Ian.

I believe that their coverage only covers the services that they can provide in-house. So, if you have to go to a hospital or for specialized care, they don't cover you. But if you have Sky Med or the like, you would be flown North and covered in an emergency.

I am covered by the VA, and we are looking at Medicare Part C for my wife.

[lcscats]

Just for a benchmark I still receive health insurance from my company I worked for in the US that can be used here in Mexico. Cobra cost for my max out of pocket expense policy of 1600 dollars a year is over $650 a month. I am 62 years old and healthy. Its great insurance but how many folks can afford 650/mo???? I pay $250 a month for my share which is affordable. Pretty standard United Health care is the provider so I imagine the price is not unusual.

Good Luck figuring all this out!

[gringal]

And all of the above is why we signed up for IMSS years ago "just in case". Whatever is happening in the U.S.A. is not going to help us in an emergency.......I'm enough of a pessimist to figure that if either of us has a medical emergency, it will need to be dealt with here, and STAT, if we expect to survive it.

[bmh]

You have that one right Gringal..when you have a true emergency there is not time to be flown back anywhere and no desire but go to the closest place for help. When my husband got very sick the insurrance offered to fly us to Mexico or to Guadalajara...sure and then what..we chose to stay where we were bad hospital and ok doctor..There was no way my husband was flying to any place.