Whether you are traveling to Mexico for a business trip or a short vacation, you will need to get health insurance to cover you during your travel. And if you are going to go and reside in Mexico for a while, then health insurance is paramount.
However, you might think that your American health insurance will cover you during your period of travel. But is this really the case? Let’s take a look.
Do You Need Health Insurance In Mexico?
Your existing health insurance from America is not going to hold up in Mexico. This is because the public health service of this country is not in any reciprocal agreements with the United States (or any other country for that matter).
If you are merely traveling to Mexico for just a short while, you might be wondering whether it would be worth it for you to purchase insurance or not. The truth, however, is that getting insured is a much better option than paying out of your pocket for your medical needs. This is because Mexico can prove to be extremely expensive, especially for tourists and visitors.
But what kind of health insurance will you need when traveling to Mexico? Is it going to differ based on the duration of your stay? Let’s explore the various options.
What Kind Of Health Insurance Do You Need In Mexico?
The kind of health insurance that you would get for traveling to Mexico depends on your stay.
Short trips to Mexico, such as a business trip or a vacation, for instance, are easy in terms of health insurance. In other words, you would not need anything other than your travel insurance policy to cover all of your medical needs. As such, you can opt for a travel insurance policy from your current health care provider.
If you are planning on going for an extended stay in Mexico, however, then you might need to look for a health insurance policy that is valid locally in the country. Private insurance companies would be able to provide you with the right health coverage. You might also wish to purchase a medical evacuation plan in your current health insurance policy so that you can be flown out to the United States in a medical emergency.
US citizens who plan to relocate to Mexico for long-term residence might need to look at something a little more substantial than travel health insurance. You can consider several options if you are going to be a foreign resident in Mexico.
Firstly, you can opt for IMSS Medical Insurance, the public healthcare system in the country. However, you might not be able to get speedy services with this option.
This is why you can also take out a health insurance plan from a private company so that you will be able to get speedy medical services in the case of a medical emergency.
This would be your best option as you would gain access to various private hospitals and doctors in Mexico.
