Healthcare in Mexico | Health Insurance in Mexico | Allianz (2024)

FAQs

How does Mexico health insurance work? ›

Public healthcare system in Mexico

Those employed in Mexico are automatically enrolled in the IMSS system and their contribution to the scheme is deducted from their salary. Those who are not formally employed may voluntarily enrol in the IMSS system, in which case they will have to pay an annual contribution fee.

Overall, the healthcare system in Mexico offers good standards and operates efficiently. Healthcare is affordable and large cities, in particular, have superb hospitals and clinics. A large number of Mexican doctors go to medical school or do extra training in the United States or Europe.

Although the gap in access to healthcare has decreased in recent years (from 38.4% of the population with no access in 2008 to 16.2% in 2018) [1], the prevalence of Mexicans without access to healthcare coverage is still relevant. In Mexico, health services are provided by differentiated subsystems [6].

It is largely characterized by a special combination of coverage mainly based on the employment status of the people. Every Mexican citizen is guaranteed no cost access to healthcare and medicine according to the Mexican constitution and made a reality with the “Institute of Health for Well-being”, or INSABI.

In Mexico, you will have good private and public health insurance options. Public health care is usually provided by the IMSS through employment or voluntary enrollment. The INSABI provides health care to individuals who are not covered by IMSS or who do not have private insurance.

Mexico coverage refers to (1) the coverage provided under certain nonstandard automobile policies issued by US insurers for operation of an insured motor vehicle within Mexico, usually limited to a stated number of miles from the US border.

Mexico's healthcare system is of generally high standards – you can expect a good level of care at a relatively affordable rate, similar to many Latin American countries.

Mexico's healthcare system is underfunded and inadequately organized to meet the needs of its population in light of increasing longevity and the growing challenges created by the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and cancer.

“The major differences are the use of sedation, the cost and the care,” she adds, saying that the US has an advantage when it comes to technology – but not by much. “It's the cost and quality of services” that brings Americans to Mexico, she says. The quality is “almost the same, but here is cheaper”.

How does Mexico pay for healthcare? ›

Health insurance in Mexico

Formal sector employees are enrolled by law in the Mexican National Social Security (IMSS, for its acronym in Spanish), at the federal level. This social security is financed by employer and employee payroll taxes by legal mandate and by the government.

The share of people considered vulnerable due to a lack of access to health services in Mexico amounted to more than one third of the country's population in 2022. In that year, it was estimated that 39.1 percent of the Mexican population suffered vulnerabilities for this reason.

Do Mexican hospitals accept USA coverage? USA health insurance coverage is not accepted in private hospitals of Mexico. The same is applicable for Medicare as well. Unless you have a USA health plan that covers healthcare in Mexico, you will have to pay out-of-pocket for availing medical services.

Average cost of a doctor's visit

A trip to the doctor's office will run you roughly the same amount as a trip to the emergency room -- about 400 pesos (US$20). It's worth noting an added perk, however, which is that doctors making house calls is relatively common in some parts of the country.

Your employer-provided health plan may have limited or no coverage in Mexico, and Medicare doesn't cover health care outside the United States, except in rare cases. Travel health insurance pays for emergency medical expenses during a trip. These expenses include the following: Ambulance service.

An IMSS coverage can cost around US$400 per year. The cost of private insurance can vary, but on an average it cost around US$1,700 per year. Who is covered by the public health insurance? People who are formally employed in Mexico are given IMSS coverage.

No, U.S. auto insurance policies aren't valid in Mexico.

Healthcare System in Mexico

The services offered by IMSS are free of charge for its beneficiaries. For temporary residents and tourists, private healthcare is available in Mexico. There are many private hospitals and clinics that offer high-quality medical services.

A 2020 research paper that surveyed some 427 Americans crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in California for medical services found that most of the respondents "felt that Mexican health care services are of the same or better quality compared with those in the United States, for a lower cost."