Health insurance in Mexico
Why is it essential to take out health insurance in Mexico?
Are you planning to expatriate, continue your studies, do an internship, a VIE or simply enjoy your vacation in Mexico? In all these situations, it is imperative to take out health insurance for Mexico for yourself and your loved ones. With the high cost of healthcare, Mexico can represent a significant financial risk in the event of illness or accident. With the right insurance, you can leave with peace of mind, protected against financial, medical and legal contingencies. Our health insurance policies specially designed for Mexico cover a wide range of expenses, including repatriation, hospitalization, civil liability and other emergency medical costs.
Student insurance Mexico
Insurance to cover your studies in Mexico.
Starting from
27€
- Worldwide coverage
- Maximum age: 35
- Covers emergencies and accidents
- Covers hospitalization and routine medical care
- Up to €250,000 per year
- Standard dental and optical expenses up to €550
- Contraception coverage + vaccines
- Maternity care
- Covers pre-existing conditions
- Repatriation assistance
- Civil liability
- Individual protection
Expatriate insurance Mexico
International health insurance to cover your expatriation to Mexico.
Starting from
93€
- Worldwide coverage
- Minimum age: 14
- Maximum age: 65
- Covers hospitalization and routine medical care
- Up to €1,500,000 per year
- Maternity coverage up to €4,000
- Coverage of assisted reproduction up to €1,500
- Covers pre-existing conditions
- Coverage of pharmaceutical expenses up to €370
- Optional dental and optical care
- Maternity plus option
- Prevention and well-being as an option
- Optional repatriation assistance
- Optional third-party liability
Travel insurance Mexico
Health insurance to cover your trip to Mexico.
Starting from
30€
- Worldwide coverage
- Maximum age: 85
- Covers emergencies and accidents
- Up to €500,000 per trip
- Covers loss, theft or destruction of luggage
- Repatriation assistance
- Travel assistance
- Civil liability
Any questions? Need advice?
Information about health insurance in Mexico
Political system: Federal Republic
Capital: Mexico City
Surface area: 1,972,550 km²
Population: 129.2 million
Languages spoken: Spanish
Currency: Mexican Peso
Mexico's healthcare system
The Mexican healthcare system is managed by a public and a private sector. Residents of Mexico can choose to be treated in one or the other, depending on their income. The public sector is much more affordable in terms of price, but is severely understaffed, leading to longer waiting times and poor quality of care. What’s more, most Mexicans rely on public health care, unable to afford private care. The private system offers much more comprehensive and qualitative care, with much shorter waiting times. As mentioned above, the cost of private access is much higher.
IMSS (Institut Gouvernemental de la Sécurité Sociale) is the compulsory health insurance scheme set up by the government. All residents in Mexico must be affiliated to the local health system, and therefore subscribe to the IMSS. There is also the ISSSTE (Mexican Institute of Social Security and Public Service Services) for public sector employees.
Local insurance in Mexico
IMSS is compulsory for all workers residing in Mexico. This insurance covers the cost of routine medical care, hospitalization, surgery and medication. When you sign up for IMSS, you’ll be assigned to a primary care physician and won’t be able to change. Costs are covered only if you receive treatment in the public sector. While IMSS covers private sector workers, ISSSTE covers federal workers only. These two public insurances cover around 60% of the Mexican population. The rest of the population is either covered by private medical insurance, or not covered at all. The advantage of private medical insurance is the ease with which people can access medical care, particularly in hospitals.
IMSS has signed an agreement with the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enable Mexican workers abroad to extend social security coverage to their families and reactivate their social security funds.
How can I consult a general practitioner or specialist in Mexico?
You are an expatriate and want to consult a doctor once you are in Mexico. We advise you to contact your embassy, which will put you in touch with medical advisors. These doctors will refer you to qualified colleagues who are recognized for their ability to care for you in the best possible conditions.
You can also consult a doctor at the pharmacy, as every pharmacy has a doctor on staff.
- The cost of a doctor’s consultation in Mexico is around 400 pesos (17 euros). What’s more, you’ll be able to call on the services of home-based doctors, as this service is very widespread in some parts of Mexico.
- The cost of a consultation with a medical specialist in Mexico is around 800 pesos (34 euros).
- The Mexican equivalent of paracetamol is Tempra, which costs $82 (1,670 pesos). Mejoral, the equivalent of Paracetamol, is much cheaper: $19 (390 pesos).
Examples of average prices for medical treatment in Mexico according to IMSS
- Diabetes: 131,000 pesos/year
- Hypertension: 76,000 pesos/year
- Caesarean section: 20,000 to 47,000 pesos
- Appendectomy: 35,000 to 40,000 pesos
- Chemotherapy session: 7090 pesos
- Delivery: 12,335 pesos
- 1 day hospitalization: 9272 pesos
- Surgery: 8257 pesos
- 1 day hospitalization in intensive care: 44.151 pesos
The cost of the care indicated is the result of public care, while private care will be more expensive.
Example of average prices for dental operations :
- Descaling: 500 to 1000 pesos
- Dental resin: 850 pesos
- Dental crown: 600 pesos/dent
- Dental implant: 500 pesos/piece
Examples of other services :
- Glasses: 500 pesos for frame + lenses = 3000 pesos
- Private hospital: between 700 and 8000 pesos.
- 35,000 pesos per day of hospitalization.
The emergency department in Mexico
The emergency number in Mexico is 911. The emergency service operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year. We’ll take care of you wherever you are in Mexico
- Emergency service: 671 pesos
- Ambulance transfer: 506 pesos
- 1 day in hospital: 9272 pesos
The health situation in Mexico
No proof of a negative covid test is required to enter Mexico, either by land or by air. The Mexican government is not imposing any pandemic-related restrictions. In fact, a health pass is not required in public and tourist places in Mexico. We recommend that you have your full vaccination schedule and take out international insurance to cover Covid’s costs in the event of hospitalization.
- Covid test: 6,000 to 25,000 pesos
- Pack of 10 surgical masks: 50 pesos
- Anti-bacterial gel: 24 pesos
It’s vital that you take out international insurance for Covid, as hospital costs in the event of covid are extremely high: between 80,000 and 100,000 pesos per day, or at least 3,400 euros per day, and can rise to over 4,000 euros.
What vaccinations are required for expatriation to Mexico?
The following vaccinations are essential before expatriating to Mexico: Hepatitis A and B. Rabies and malaria are strongly recommended.
We also recommend that you take precautions against mosquito bites, such as wearing loose-fitting clothing and using repellents. You should also take any medication your GP may prescribe before your expatriation, in case of a reaction to a mosquito bite. There is no vaccine or medication to combat dengue fever, so it’s important to be careful and take precautions.
You can also ask your doctor to prescribe an antibiotic treatment in anticipation of turista.
How can you have your children treated in Mexico?
Mexico’s National Pediatric Institute is attached to the Mexican Health Secretariat. This organization’s mission is to provide the best possible training for paediatric specialists, both nationally and internationally. The average cost of a consultation with a pediatrician is around 600 pesos, or 26 euros.
To choose a good pediatrician, you can start by asking people you know to recommend a pediatrician they trust. You can also ask expatriate consultants if they know a pediatrician among their acquaintances.
Maternity and pregnancy in Mexico
To ensure that your pregnancy goes as smoothly as possible in Mexico, we recommend that you take out international private insurance covering your maternity expenses, so that you can visit private facilities. Indeed, in Mexico, waiting times and quality of care are superior in the private sector, almost on a par with European hospitals. In any case, you won’t notice any difference.
In addition, depending on your location, we advise you to get in touch with other expatriates who may be able to recommend a doctor or gynecologist. You can get in touch with them by searching forums on the Internet.
Some examples of maternity-related medical expenses according to the IMSS:
- Delivery: 15,000 to 30,000 pesos
- Caesarean section: 20,000 to 47,000 pesos
- X-ray: 360 pesos
- Ultrasound: 571 pesos
- Axial tomography: 2,780 pesos
- Hemodialysis session: 5021 pesos
During your pregnancy, you will be monitored by an obstetrician or gynecologist until you give birth. On average, you’ll have three ultrasound scans to check that the baby’s growth is going well.
There is no real post-pregnancy follow-up in Mexico. During a hospital birth, nurses will assist the doctor. There are very few midwives in Mexico. We recommend that you try to contact expatriate midwives if you need one.
Should I take out health insurance in Mexico?
Mexico is one of the countries with the highest medical costs, and there is a big difference between public and private healthcare organizations. Mondassur strongly advises you to take out private medical insurance for Mexico before leaving to work, travel or do an internship in Mexico.
On the one hand, certain medical expenses in Mexico are not insignificant. For example, Covid-related care costs can run up to 100,000 pesos a day, or over 4,000 euros. Taking out private international insurance will enable you to enjoy Mexico to the full without the risk of running up huge bills when you leave the hospital.
What’s more, Mexico’s compulsory health insurance does not cover repatriation to your home country in the event of an emergency.
Which health insurance is right for Mexico?
Take out GoldExpat insurance for your expatriation to Mexico
Mondassur recommends that you take out international health insurance as soon as you leave for Mexico. GoldExpat Mexico insurance is perfect for your needs:
- It covers 100% of actual hospital costs. It is compulsory to have 100% hospitalization coverage in Mexico, as you won’t be able to rely on overcrowded public hospitals with extremely long waiting times. Treatment in a private hospital is much more reassuring in terms of quality of care and much shorter waiting times.
- Your day-to-day medical expenses will be covered up to 90% or 80%, depending on the plan you choose. Even if the price of local medicines is low, with GoldExpat you can afford to buy medicines imported from abroad. These more expensive drugs will most likely be safer and more effective than the local ones.
- Third-party liability coverage, meaning that in addition to being insured, you’ll also be covered in the event of unintentional damage to others. In Mexico, the road accident rate is quite high.
Don’t waste any time, get a free quote on our website and/or contact us by e-mail or telephone for more precise information based on your situation.
