A Common Question When Thinking About Moving To Mexico
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| Sayulita UNIMED Urgent Care & Ambulance |
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| Hospital CMQ Riviera Nayarit in Bucerias |
Medical Care
When we were deciding where to retire in México, access to health care was included in the Top 10 Reasons We Moved to Sayulita, Nayarit. We found that good medical and dental care are available at various clinics in Sayulita, the San Francisco General Hospital five miles north in San Pancho, the new Hospital CMQ Riviera Nayarit 13 miles south in Bucerías, and several medical centers in Puerto Vallarta, including Hospital Medasist and Hospital CMQ Puerto Vallarta 30 miles south.
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| Bandaras Bay Pharmacy & Medical Clinic in Sayulita |
Some pharmacies in México (farmacias), especially in small towns, have a doctor’s clinic associated with them, usually right next door. The Banderas Bay Pharmacy and Medical Services on Calle Manuel N. Navarette in Sayulita is one such service that has two doctors, does house calls, and has a phone number for 24-hour urgent care. We keep their brochure and phone number, as well as the one for the Unimed Urgent Care clinic near the Pemex gas station at the entry to Sayulita, posted on our wall in case of emergency. I recommend having a name and phone number of an urgent care or doctor handy for the area you decide to move to, preferably one who speaks English if your Spanish is not good.
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| Pharmacies in Mexico Often Post Common Medications Stocked |
Pharmacies in México have a good selection of common maintenance medication, most of which do not require a prescription. Controlled substances and antibiotics often require a prescription, which you can usually obtain for a small fee. However, prescription medications are not necessarily inexpensive compared to the price we pay for a one-year supply of generic drugs that we take.
In addition, specialty drugs and nutritional supplements are generally not available in México, even in the larger Farmacia Guadalajara, Wal-Mart, or Costco pharmacies in Puerto Vallarta. We are careful to bring a one-year supply of all of our prescription medications, nutritional supplements, and over-the-counter medications with us once a year, including fish oil capsules, calcium carbonate with Vitamin D, Vitamin C, ibuprofen, 82mg aspirin, and many others. Vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional supplements can be found at GNC stores but are relatively expensive compared to in the United States.
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| Jon at Farmacia Guadalajara |
Fear of illness or injury while living or traveling in México is a real concern for many people. It may ease the minds of those new to México to know that pharmacies, Urgent Care Clinics, and hospitals are readily available in tourist areas of Mexico. Here is one story of a time that my husband, Jon, needed to treat a minor health issue while in Mazatlán that I hope will help others realize that medical care is easily accessible in most areas of Mexico: TwoTrips to Pharmacies in Mazatlán: Treating a Mild Infection While in Mexico.
The next service we researched was ambulances in our area. When we realized there are three companies that have ambulances in town or nearby, Baywatch, Banderas Bay Medical Services, and Unimed Health System (Urgent Care), we programmed the direct phone numbers of all three services into our cell phones. We have the 911 emergency service in our area, but the dispatcher may not speak English and will send whatever ambulance they choose. We prefer to call the ambulance directly and make sure they are available immediately and can take us to the hospital of our choice.
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| Ambulance at Unimed is Associated with AirEvac International |
Find a Primary Care Physician
We wanted to establish a relationship with a primary care physician we trusted in case we had medical issues beyond that which an urgent care clinic could handle. Our dentist in Sayulita recommended a doctor she trusted for his medical expertise and that he would not take financial advantage of us as gringos by charging high prices or by charging for a false diagnosis.
We decided to give
this doctor a try when Jon had been experiencing troubling eye pain for a
couple of weeks. We rode the bus to his office in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, about
11 miles from Sayulita. As is common, his office was next to a pharmacy.
The doctor was personable and spoke English well. He spent about a half-hour
talking and examining Jon, then told Jon he should wait a week or so and see if the
pain would go away. He said to come back if it didn't. When asked how much we
owed, the doctor said, "Nothing. I didn't do anything." Wow! Then he gave us his cell phone number and said if we had an emergency, to call him first, and he would meet us at the hospital, partly to make sure we weren't overcharged, since we are gringos. We felt good about our new primary care physician. The eye pain did go away in a week, a mystery to us, and we haven’t had to return to see the doctor since.
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| Dra. Carla is a Very Professional Dentist |
Jon has had two
crowns done by Dr. Roberto in Sayulita and says they are the best crowns he has
ever had—each one fit perfectly the first time they were placed on the tooth
and required no grinding. Dr. Roberto took the impressions at his office and
then sent them to a crown-making lab in Puerto Vallarta. Since the lab
specializes in making crowns and uses a process that is exacting, the results
are very high quality.
To have a root canal done in our area, Dr. Roberto and Dra. Carla sent Jon to a dentist at the Specialized & Advanced Dental Office in Puerto Vallarta, which specializes in root canals. She only does root canals in her practice, and therefore, she is very skilled at doing them. The total cost for the root canal was 3200 pesos (about $160 US dollars).
Health Insurance
For those who wish to purchase medical insurance that covers health care while living in Mexico, the Mexperience website has a couple of good explanations and services to offer. I would refer you to their Guide to Healthcare Services in Mexico. One of their recent blog articles has a nice summary of health and Medical Insurance Options in Mexico.
After reading many Facebook Expat group discussions on this subject and speaking to other expats we have met in México, I find every person does something different. There isn't a “one plan fits all”. Jon and I have looked at both Mexican public health insurance and private insurance plans for expats and we just don't feel either is a good option for us.
Jon has Medicare Medical and prescription insurance, which he can only use in the U.S., so he gets an annual physical and a year's worth of medication when we are in Oregon each summer. He has his doctor write his prescriptions for a quantity to last for one year, then has the pharmacy fill it for the maximum allowed by the insurance, which is usually a 90-day supply. Then he asks the pharmacy technician to call the insurance company and request that they cover a vacation supply, usually another 90-day supply. Finally, he has the pharmacy fill the balance of the prescription for a cash price. Using generics is usually the least expensive route, though if a generic medication is very inexpensive, we find it is best to have the entire prescription quantity filled as cash and bypass the insurance billing altogether.
This is an interesting article from the Yucatan Times, giving us confidence in the quality and low cost of health care we have in this country: Mexicoamong the 5 countries with the best healthcare in the world for retirees. In this article, “International Living’s Mexico Editor, Glynna Prentice, says, ‘In Mexico, I have access to two affordable healthcare systems: public and private. In Mexico’s private healthcare system, costs—pretty much across the board—run 25% to 50% of U.S. costs for comparable services. And as a legal resident in Mexico, I also have access to Mexico’s public healthcare system, which runs most people around $300 to $400 or so a year—or less,’ says Prentice, one of an estimated 1 million Americans now living in Mexico”, according to International Living. Jon and I are legal residents of México but have concerns about wait time in Mexico’s public healthcare system and so have chosen not to go that route.
I invite you to SIGN UP for my "Healthy Living and Traveling inMexico Newsletter", published monthly with stories about our latest adventures, my recent blog articles, and news about my books.
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When they fell in love, it was powerful. Then Jake was diagnosed with
depression and bipolar disorder. Could Lindsay tolerate the chaos from Jake's
wild mood swings? Would newly discovered gene assays and blood tests indicate
choices for a better treatment? Would escaping their stressful lifestyle and
moving to México give Jake and Lindsay the new start their relationship
needed?
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| Specialized & Advanced Dental Office in Puerto Vallarta |
To have a root canal done in our area, Dr. Roberto and Dra. Carla sent Jon to a dentist at the Specialized & Advanced Dental Office in Puerto Vallarta, which specializes in root canals. She only does root canals in her practice, and therefore, she is very skilled at doing them. The total cost for the root canal was 3200 pesos (about $160 US dollars).
Health Insurance
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| Mexperience Offers Medical Insurance Options For Mexico |
For those who wish to purchase medical insurance that covers health care while living in Mexico, the Mexperience website has a couple of good explanations and services to offer. I would refer you to their Guide to Healthcare Services in Mexico. One of their recent blog articles has a nice summary of health and Medical Insurance Options in Mexico.
After reading many Facebook Expat group discussions on this subject and speaking to other expats we have met in México, I find every person does something different. There isn't a “one plan fits all”. Jon and I have looked at both Mexican public health insurance and private insurance plans for expats and we just don't feel either is a good option for us.
Here's what Jon and
I have decided—we pay out-of-pocket for health care while here in México.
It's relatively inexpensive for quality practitioners and hospitals. In case of
a major emergency, we will pay out-of-pocket. We are both pretty healthy, so it
feels like the right decision for us. But it's not for everyone.
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| Medicare Can Only Be Used In the U.S. |
Jon has Medicare Medical and prescription insurance, which he can only use in the U.S., so he gets an annual physical and a year's worth of medication when we are in Oregon each summer. He has his doctor write his prescriptions for a quantity to last for one year, then has the pharmacy fill it for the maximum allowed by the insurance, which is usually a 90-day supply. Then he asks the pharmacy technician to call the insurance company and request that they cover a vacation supply, usually another 90-day supply. Finally, he has the pharmacy fill the balance of the prescription for a cash price. Using generics is usually the least expensive route, though if a generic medication is very inexpensive, we find it is best to have the entire prescription quantity filled as cash and bypass the insurance billing altogether.
I am 61 years old and am
eligible for an affordable health insurance plan in the U.S. due to my low
income. I only take out enough from my IRA to live simply here in México, and
that qualifies me for this inexpensive plan with a low premium and high
deductible. This covers my annual wellness physical and mammogram while we are
in the U.S. It also allows me to purchase a year's worth of prescription meds
while in Oregon, using the same insurance billing procedure as described for
Jon above. Purchasing a year's worth of generic prescription medications and supplements such as vitamins, calcium
with Vitamin D, and fish oil, as well as over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen and
aspirin 82mg while in the U.S. is far cheaper than buying them in México.
Here are a few other sources of information for Medical
Insurance while in Mexico:
2. Expat
Insurance Solutions by Expats (Medical, Evacuation, Auto, Home)
https://www.weexpats.com/ (Worldwide including US and Canada health insurance with WEA)
https://www.weexpats.com/ (Worldwide including US and Canada health insurance with WEA)
This is an interesting article from the Yucatan Times, giving us confidence in the quality and low cost of health care we have in this country: Mexicoamong the 5 countries with the best healthcare in the world for retirees. In this article, “International Living’s Mexico Editor, Glynna Prentice, says, ‘In Mexico, I have access to two affordable healthcare systems: public and private. In Mexico’s private healthcare system, costs—pretty much across the board—run 25% to 50% of U.S. costs for comparable services. And as a legal resident in Mexico, I also have access to Mexico’s public healthcare system, which runs most people around $300 to $400 or so a year—or less,’ says Prentice, one of an estimated 1 million Americans now living in Mexico”, according to International Living. Jon and I are legal residents of México but have concerns about wait time in Mexico’s public healthcare system and so have chosen not to go that route.
I invite you to SIGN UP for my "Healthy Living and Traveling inMexico Newsletter", published monthly with stories about our latest adventures, my recent blog articles, and news about my books.
ANNOUNCING MY NEW NOVEL! eBook only $2.99 or FREE on kindleunlimited!
Available on Amazon worldwide!
(In Sickness and In Health #1)
Terry L Turrell, Author
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