Understanding Global Health Insurance when Living in San Miguel De Allende

Are you thinking about living in San Miguel de Allende? ¡felicidades! — tamales, telenovelas, and tequila, as well as new friends and beautiful weather, await you south of the border. However, before you make a move, you must decide on the type of Global Health Insurance plan you will secure.

Public vs. Private Insurance in Mexico

Mexico’s healthcare system is very well regarded. Through private and public channels, the residents have access to a wide range of low-cost, high-quality options — these options are also accessible to expats who match the eligibility requirements.

Mexico’s public healthcare system operates through the Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social (IMSS). If you work in San Miguel de Allende for a private Mexican company, you are automatically registered in the IMSS system, and your payment to the program is deducted from your monthly pay. However, if you are not already employed, you can join the same plan for a low monthly fee.

It is worth noting that using IMSS presents three major challenges for expats:

1. You cannot pick your own doctor or healthcare facility. Therefore, treatment quality can dramatically vary depending on the facility or doctor assigned to you.

2. Then there is the language barrier. Although many doctors in San Miguel de Allende speak English, many hospital workers and IMSS employees do not.

3. The third challenge is the amount of time spent waiting. In general, you should plan on waiting about three months for surgery — and even longer for non-emergency surgery.

For these three reasons, most expats in Mexico choose to supplement their IMSS coverage with private Global Health Insurance that is accepted in Mexico to have access to superior healthcare in San Miguel de Allende and for that matter any other city in Mexico as well.

● Private healthcare facilities are well-equipped, have more access to specialty procedures, and deliver high quality care overall. The colonial-era city in Mexico’s central highlands has three private hospitals, which is unusual for a city of its size: Hospital Joya San Miguel, UNIMED Health System, and Hospitals MAC San Miguel de Allende.

● Private healthcare facilities offer substantially reduced wait times and more English-speaking employees.

● You can also choose your own doctor or healthcare facility with private insurance.

● The terms and conditions of a private insurance policy are also easier to understand for American expats.

Is my U.S. or Canadian Insurance policy valid when driving in Mexico?

Many Americans are surprised to find out that their car insurance does not cover them once they are south of the border. It is worth mentioning that some, not all U.S.-based insurance companies may offer a limited extension of vehicle theft and damage coverage up to a certain distance — usually only 25 to 50 miles from the U.S. Border into Mexico. Always be sure to check to see if Mexico is included on your auto insurance policy if you are relying on this coverage when driving in Mexico. Nonetheless, those driving in San Miguel de Allende will most definitely be required to purchase an Auto policy written and backed by a Mexican insurance carrier as San Miguel De Allende is 1,311 miles from the United States and in fact 2,557.3 driving miles from the United States.

There is a difference between American and Mexican insurance coverage, and Mexico does not recognize American insurance policies as a strong general rule. If you plan to drive on the roads in Mexico and an unfortunate accident occurs, your insurance in your home country will not cover the damages sustained to your vehicle and good luck trying to claim on it. We recommend at a minimum to secure $300,000 USD. of 3rd party Mexican liability insurance to meet the laws in Mexico. These policies also provide legal bond which is your get out of a Mexico jail card.

How much does Global Health Insurance cost?

Of course, one of the major considerations when getting Health Insurance in a new country is the cost — you do not want to end up with a costly, recurring payment. Let us take a look at the pricing situation in Mexico.
Those who enroll in IMSS coverage should expect to pay a yearly fee of around USD 400, which must be renewed annually. Deductibles are paid on a per-occurrence basis rather than yearly. The deductible for accident-related payments is generally USD 250, whereas a non-accidental deductible costs about USD 800.
A Global Health Insurance varies in price, but it usually costs around USD 1,700 annually with a USD 5,000 annual deductible

Let’s talk about the coverage limit.

The coverage limit is the most an insurance company will pay for your healthcare needs in a given year. It is the first number you should look at before buying a private insurance policy. Because healthcare in Mexico is relatively inexpensive, the annual coverage limits can be around $1,000,000 USD. — often the minimum coverage limit in a Global Health Plan.
Please remember that Global Health Insurance may have additional limits on optional coverage such as outpatient treatment, dental check-ups, eye exams, and pregnancy and childbirth. For example, insurers may set an annual limit of USD 300 for health check-ups — although the plan has a USD 1,000,000 limit.

Calling for an ambulance in San Miguel de Allende

While you can dial 911 in an emergency, the number is primarily for the Mexico public safety department. You will have a much better chance dialing 066, which will connect you to the national citizen emergency system. You can also contact a private ambulance service directly.