Mexico's National Healthcare Plan

"Mexico's National Healthcare Plan and Discount Card Attractive for Retiring Canadian, US Expats"," The cost of living in Mexico for foreigners from the Western World is a fraction of what it costs to retire reasonably in one's former homeland. Furthermore, becoming a senior citizen in Mexico provides Americans and Canadians with significant discounts in other areas as well as the occasional freebie. For example the cost of living in San Miguel de Allende is much higher than in the southern Mexico city of Oaxaca. In other cities it may cost a fair bit more, but not nearly as much as in the US or Canada. First class bus tickets for INAPAM members are discounted by 50%, meaning that instead of paying 726 pesos for the ultra luxury Platino ADO bus service from Oaxaca to Mexico City, it costs only 363 pesos, or about $30 USD. Aerotucan offers a 10% discount. Parking tickets in Oaxaca are discounted by 50% if paid within 15 days of the infraction, but with an INAPAM card the courtesy reduction is valid for 30 days. However, there are weekday matinee specials which sometimes result in greater savings by not using one's INAPAM card. The Soriana supermarket chain offers a modest discount on prescription medications. The effective saving is actually 35%, since payment of taxes in January of the subsequent taxation year already results in a 15% discount. There are other discounts, but the foregoing provides a sampling of the savings available to expats 60 years of age or older with the INAPAM card. This entitles you to: • Visiting a clinic doctor (family physician) when ill• Visiting specialists when recommended by the clinic doctor• Having prescribed blood, urine, fecal and other test analyses, as well as x-rays• Prescription medications• Hospitalization and surgery, including the dreaded colonoscopy• An annual physical which includes a flu shot, and complimentary condoms without asking Admittedly the quality care and cleanliness at IMSS in general may not be up to the standards to which you have become accustomed, simply by virtue of the fact that many of the medical personnel in this system have been trained at universities with lesser reputations than those in the US and Canada, and Westerners are often unjustifiably anal about cleanliness, but there are two important points: The private hospitals simply do not have the equipment that IMSS has, and as indicated above your chosen surgeon may perform your surgery at an IMSS hospital. Many Mexican doctors, especially in the private system, have had their medical training abroad, and / or regularly attend specialty seminars and courses in the US, Canada or overseas. Mexican cities have private hospitals owned by one or a group of doctors. The cost per night of staying in one of these hospitals is a fraction of the cost to spend a night in a US hospital. The Decision - Making Process for American and Canadian Seniors Considering Retirement in Mexico Based on Comparative Cost of Living Healthcare costs and the diminishing value of retirement portfolios are perhaps the most important considerations for Americans approaching retirement age. But for both Americans and Canadians Mexico should provide food for thought. Many do not participate in IMSS for a variety of reasons, some of which have been touched upon. And INAPAM might help to tip the scale just enough. IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE  

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Healthcare