salud Popular

[geromio]

Since I can't go to the States anymore, because I can't buy medical travel insurance and the astronomical cost of hospital and doctors in the Us, I was wondering if anyone has ever been to Mexico and spent some time for treatment in the General Hospital in the country.
Apperently they have an Universal Medical System like in Canada. Anyone is treated regardless of insurance coverage or not.
I know that George the Vagabonder Suprime used once or twice the service of their Salud Popular at no cost other for his food and medication.
I would appreciate very much anyone feed back on this.

[iguana07]

As far as using a public hospital in Zihuat, three or four years ago I took my wife there to the emergency ward. If you can call it that. Would not recommend this place to anyone. Very third world. I have posted our experience on this board before. No armed guard, just a security person at the door. When we paid he was no where even near.
I was told this was the only public hospital in town. Not sure if it was or not.
Hope this helps.

[Almot]

Rumors? More like "reports". Gringos in Chapala were denied free meds under IMSS. Yes, you don't need to be employed in order to join IMSS. So our retirees joined, and after some years were suddenly told - no soup for you.

Ah, what the heck - it will all change by the time I retire. Hard to get rid of the habit to plan, you know.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

If this reg exists it is new. I'll ask Eduardo or vanessa manana. My membership is on ice till I get home. Normally an IMSS hospital is overburdened to begin with and they will not admit a non member except to stabilize the give them to a pay hospital. Something is WRONG about what you are hearing. My kids are SELF EMPLOYED and have Seguro Social. There are a lot of hoops to jump through before an extraneous is accepted. Don't listen to rumors. After preparations IMSS may tell an applicant NO MORE ROOM TRY AGAIN NEXT TEMPORADA.

Americans and everone else PLAN

Mexicanos IMPROVISE

[Almot]

Ok, it's getting clearer.
If there is only IMSS hospital in town, people join IMSS. If - Seguro, then Seguro.

Or they join both palns - and then pay both annual premiums unless they are so poor that are exempt from paying one or both premiums.

Then they have access to both IMSS and Seguro - which still might not be good enough, and then gringo goes North for Medicare and Mexican has to pay out of pocket for private, or die.
Canadian living more than 6-7 months will either use private coverage, and then pay $$$ for whatever is not covered, or again die while trying to return North and waiting 3 months in Canada before he becomes eligible for provincial plan that was discontinued during his absence.

Mex - can you confirm that full IMSS including free meds is only available to membership through employer? Because this is what I hear, and this sounds cruel if there is only IMSS hospital in town. Any local - including gringo with status - should be eligible then.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Significa SOCIOS = MEMBERS

[Almot]

Senor Mex - todavia estoy apprendiendo. What do you mean by "socios"? Yes, I know about pre-existing exclusions in IMSS.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Negative Almot

IMSS SEGURO POPULAR & ISSSTE are autonomous. Socios are indeed covered under IMSS for formulary medications.

BUT BUT BUT

Thoroughly research policy exclusions for pre-existing medical condition exclusions before getting all excited about becoming a mamber.

[Almot]

Good info on IMSS. Though... I remember the "rip-off" cry in gringo community around Guadalajara when IMSS stopped covering medications after people had been paying premiums for years. Then somebody who could read (or had a Mexican relative) discovered that retiree gringos are not eligible for free meds under IMSS, and have never been, - only for hospital treatment.

Does anybody know, do they take Seguro members at IMSS clinics?

[Almot]

moisheh wrote:
Are you saying mb.sk,pq and the maritimes don't count??? Arrogance???

Nope. Just a literacy. Most of the country population live in BC, ON and AB.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

IMSS has treated me well and their 2o specialists are talented and overworked to the point of exhaustion.

If I decide to evacuate, it is during or after an IMSS doctor has their way with me. I am appalled at the number of sick tourists who gaze upon a periferico or 2o tier facility and mentally compare it to a visit to a witch doctor's hut the guy who has a bone through his nose.

To soothe feelings I carefully explain to a doctor that I have full coverage in the USA.

BTW, that episode last night had my pulse dropping to 28-29. Apparently my heart has not deteriorated pump capacity wise as blood O2 only once dropped to the high eighties.

[moisheh]

Mex: Than thanks for some specifics. Hard to find that kind of info. I do know that some IMSS hospitals run out of popular meds by mid month. But being as this is Mexico a "donation" to the pharmacist brings out those meds in a flash! The Rebel that owns Farmacia Similares offered to save the Feds billions of pesos by supplying his generic meds. Never happened.

Moisheh

[MEXICOWANDERER]

CANADIAN HEALTH INSURANCE needs a sticky. The issue is who will create and verify the information?

With IMSS Seguro Social, a person just does not walk into a Nivel 1o hospital and announce - hello I need a pacemaker. There are around a dozen or so 1o IMSS hospitals in Mexico and perhaps 50 20 hospitals.

The rest are called Perifericos.

99.9% of the time, residents are treated at a Periferico. Unless the illness is life-threatening, the Periferico presents it's findings to a board in a 2o tier hospital. A committee. The committee schedules an appointment for the patient. Many 2o hospitals do not have specialists. The specialists "make the rounds" of 2o hospitals, so a referral make take a month or longer for other than dire emergencies.

1o hospitals perform heart-lung transplants. This is the level of hospital that has CAT SCAN, and MRI machines and technicians. Getting an MRI can take months or as long as a year.

The medication formulary at IMSS hospitals is ultra-basic. Many extended-release medications are not available nor are specialty medications. You pay out-of-pocket for non formulary medications. This can get dicey with cardiac medications.

SEGURO POPULAR is far less sophisticated. I believe SP members pay out of pocket for Cat Scan and MRI diagnostics. The formulary is pathetic.

[Naio]

Mex, I am sorry to hear you are going through that. I wish I could help. I admire your mental strength in coping with all that life has thrown at you.

[Mountaineer42]

Almot wrote:
Moisheh: Ontario and BC allow 7 months out of Canada to keep provincial plan. Alberta still has 6 months, IIRC. This pretty much covers most of the country population.

Alberta has allowed seven months out of Canada since last year.

[moisheh]

"This pretty much covers most of the country population."

Almot I hope I incorrectly got the meaning of that statement. Are you saying mb.sk,pq and the maritimes don't count??? Arrogance???

Moisheh