BajaNomad - Seguro Popular

Seguro Popular

monoloco - 3-12-2014 at 07:57 AM

We went to La Paz yesterday and enrolled in Seguro Popular. The office is on Bravo on the second floor of the old Salvatiera hospital building, you need to bring copies of your passport, electric or water bill or constancia, copies of your CURP card and INM card. We expected to be charged but it ended up being free. The whole process took about a half hour and couldn't have been easier.

vandenberg - 3-12-2014 at 08:01 AM

Could you tell me the cost?
And for how many people?
I like to know the cost for a family of four, man, wife and 2 small kids.

BajaBlanca - 3-12-2014 at 08:06 AM

FREE vandenburg, that is what monoloco wrote (((:

David K - 3-12-2014 at 08:12 AM

Nothing's free, somebody somewhere is paying... Perhaps the clinic will accept donations when services are provided so non-Mexicans will always be welcomed happily?

Whale-ista - 3-12-2014 at 08:12 AM

What are the benefits of this program? Is this for healthcare?

monoloco - 3-12-2014 at 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by vandenberg
Could you tell me the cost?
And for how many people?
I like to know the cost for a family of four, man, wife and 2 small kids.

We are a couple and we expected to be charged something, I have heard of people being charged 1500 pesos, but they did not charge us anything. They asked if we owned our house, had a stove, a refrigerator, a car, or a DVD player. I told my wife they must have thought we were very poor and felt sorry for us because we don't own a DVD player. :?:

monoloco - 3-12-2014 at 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Whale-ista
What are the benefits of this program? Is this for healthcare?

Yes, Seguro Popular is a national health insurance program available to anyone who is a legal resident of Mexico. Over the last year I have heard many positive reviews from friends who have used it through the new Salvatierra Hospital in La Paz.

monoloco - 3-12-2014 at 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Nothing's free, somebody somewhere is paying... Perhaps the clinic will accept donations when services are provided so non-Mexicans will always be welcomed happily?

It's true that nothing is free, but perhaps Mexico can afford to provide healthcare to it's people because it's not wasting money on a corporate welfare state and trying to police the rest of the planet.

David K - 3-12-2014 at 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by monoloco

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Nothing's free, somebody somewhere is paying... Perhaps the clinic will accept donations when services are provided so non-Mexicans will always be welcomed happily?

Maybe... but then is Mexico a world economic power? Sadly, the USA isn't any more either! :rolleyes:

Hook - 3-12-2014 at 08:37 AM

Just be sure and check out the hospitals that accept Seguro Popular. Over here in Sonora, they arent hospitals I'd want to be treated in.

It might be different in La Paz. But ask around about the hospitals that accept it. Surely, in a town as large as La Paz, there will be good info from former gringo patients who can compare it to treatment in the States or Canada.

Mula - 3-12-2014 at 08:54 AM

We've had Seguro Popular for 3 years and are happy with it.

We got it in Constitucion and it was free for all of us: 1 single 67 year old guy, a couple in their middle 70's and my husband and I . . . all signed up at the same time.

Also some friends signed up in Santa Rosalia. The office was going to charge them 1500 pesos, but when it was mentioned that Constitucion offered this for free, the fee was waived. They are in their mid 60's

monoloco - 3-12-2014 at 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hook
Just be sure and check out the hospitals that accept Seguro Popular. Over here in Sonora, they arent hospitals I'd want to be treated in.

It might be different in La Paz. But ask around about the hospitals that accept it. Surely, in a town as large as La Paz, there will be good info from former gringo patients who can compare it to treatment in the States or Canada.

In La Paz the new Salvatierra hospital is very highly regarded by the locals. I have had several friends who have had surgical procedures done there and have been impressed by the care they received.

Whale-ista - 3-12-2014 at 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K

Quote:

Originally posted by monoloco

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Nothing's free, somebody somewhere is paying... Perhaps the clinic will accept donations when services are provided so non-Mexicans will always be welcomed happily?

Maybe... but then is Mexico a world economic power? Sadly, the USA isn't any more either! :rolleyes:

Thanks for the clarification regarding this program.

I agree someone is paying for people to be well. We invest in good roads for the same reasons: it develops long term economic health. Same for healthcare.

Personally, I'd prefer to pay to keep people healthy vs. to treat them when sick. We already pay a high price for sick people who can't afford to see a doctor until they wind up in the emergency room, so basic preventive care makes economic sense.

Also- who are the "economic powers" these days? How do you measure that? GDP? Political stability? Individual longevity? All these things are part of "quality of life" beyond $$.

So...who's doing well? Brazil? Germany? Northern European nations?

Then consider how much these "rich" nations invest in long term, broad spectrum healthcare- not just treating illness, but preventing disease and promoting wellness.

Finally: what's the "bang for the buck" they invest? Adjusted on a spending to outcome ratio, the US spends a lot, yet we have no better outcomes than countries that invest much less in healthcare. It's a puzzle...

I suspect, if you look at the nations that are doing well economically, they are doing things like: offering good primary and prenatal healthcare, reasonable paid parental leave (for moms and dads both), quality preschool and childhood education....and affordable healthcare. Because they recognize that when you lower mother/child mortality rates, make it possible for parents to spend time with their kids without going broke, and make childcare/preschool/public schools available, affordable, and of good quality, you are investing in building a future where EVERYONE benefits.

Finally, to quote Virgil: “The greatest wealth is health”

If you're not healthy enough to enjoy spending your money what's the point? And that's for nations as well as individuals.

bajalinda - 3-12-2014 at 02:16 PM

Thanks for that info, monoloco. Did you have an appointment or did you just walk in? I ask because I went there several weeks ago to get info about signing up and the little vestibule/waiting room was lined with people sitting and waiting and no sign of life in the office.....so I copied down the info about signing up that they have posted on a sign on the door and left - need to go back....

Mula - 3-12-2014 at 02:19 PM

We only use Seguro Popular when we have to, but it's nice to know it is there . . . Generally we like to pick our own Dr.s and just pay out of pocket.

monoloco - 3-12-2014 at 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajalinda
Thanks for that info, monoloco. Did you have an appointment or did you just walk in? I ask because I went there several weeks ago to get info about signing up and the little vestibule/waiting room was lined with people sitting and waiting and no sign of life in the office.....so I copied down the info about signing up that they have posted on a sign on the door and left - need to go back....

I guess we lucked out, got there about 10:30 or 11 am, no appointment and no one in the waiting area, got right in. There was 2 or 3 waiting when we left.

Whale-ista - 3-12-2014 at 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mula
We only use Seguro Popular when we have to, but it's nice to know it is there . . . Generally we like to pick our own Dr.s and just pay out of pocket.

What is the cost for a typical office visit? And do you see people right away, or does it take some time for an appointment?

bajalinda - 3-12-2014 at 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mula
We only use Seguro Popular when we have to, but it's nice to know it is there . . . Generally we like to pick our own Dr.s and just pay out of pocket.

That's how we're thinking of using it also Mula.

Right monoloco - I think you probably lucked out on the timing!

Pescador - 3-12-2014 at 05:37 PM

I was hoping this was not going to turn into a political discussion, but alas, there is such a small sliver of a chance of that happening. Because I had a large agency that dealt with health care before retirement, it was only natural that I would be following and reading all the fine print on this program. It was passed because the government wanted to provide some basic level of coverage for all of their residents. If some of those residents were imported and expatriates, then so be it, but it passed the legislature anyway. When it first started, even the doctors and medical facilities were if favor and went out of their way to make things work. But just because you pass a program and then do not properly fund it, things are going to have some difficulty in implementation. That is pretty much what happened here.

First, it is developed to be on a sliding scale and depending on your income you could get coverage from zero cost up to about $200 US per person, per year. As all things in Mexico, not all offices were created equal and some offices gave it free to all who signed up so that their numbers of enrollment were good, while others took a more conservative approach.
So when you ask about cost, then you need to take into account the area where you sign up.

Second, depending on the area you are from, the treatment may go from dismal to very good. A lot depends on where you get treatment. At our local hospital in Santa Rosalia, you can go, and sit for a long time (up to 5 or 6 hours) to see a doctor and when he prescribes something, you will find that the pharmacy is somehow out of that particular medicine. La Paz, on the other hand, does a pretty good job on treatment but Seguro patients are added into the mix of other patients that they see, and for the most part the hospital and doctors are doing most of the treatment out of the goodness of their heart, instead of something that actually pays it way in terms of reimbursement.
There are limitations in the policy but for basic healthcare it is not too bad. But be very careful not to delude yourself into thinking it is just like having a Blue Cross Blue Shield policy in the United States.
The locals are doing the same thing as the expatriates. Buying, or at least signing up on the policy and then going to a private clinic whenever the real need arises.
I did have a friend who used it to pay for his blood tests and clinic work and was very happy with the program, but most who I talk to have had real frustrations with the application.
So Mexico did a great thing socially and politically, they instituted a program that covers every resident, it is only in the practical usage of that program that things have some stumbling blocks and glaring holes.

Udo - 3-12-2014 at 05:50 PM

Thanks for the exposé, Pescador. Very well explained.

[Edited on 3-13-2014 by Udo]

Whale-ista - 3-12-2014 at 06:07 PM

Thanks for the detailed history/explanation Pescador. I wasn't familiar with this program.

Seems reasonable. Sounds like it was intended to cover the basics (immunizations, minor illnesses) at minimal costs for low income patients.

monoloco - 3-13-2014 at 11:57 AM

Here's a link to Seguro Popular's catalog of services:

http://www.seguro-popular.salud.gob.mx/images/contenidos/Cau...

Here's a link in English that describes the program and eligibility requirements:

http://www.seguro-popular.salud.gob.mx/index.php?option=com_...

pauldavidmena - 3-13-2014 at 04:07 PM

good to know that one's "concubines" are considered part of the nuclear family.

BajaLuna - 3-13-2014 at 04:09 PM

thanks for sharing this info, Monoloco! Glad to hear it worked out for you!

Hook - 3-13-2014 at 07:50 PM

Maybe I'm just jaded by the cost of procedures in the U.S. but the cost of basic procedures from the good doctors and the good hospitals in Mexico are basically cheap enough for me to pay out of pocket for those, too. So, dealing with the questionable quality at Seguro Popular approved facilites for basic procedures isnt worth it to me.

I gotta ask the wife what I paid for my first colonoscopy down here at the top hospital in Hermosillo, Sonora. It was about one quarter of the cost of my last one in the States. Included some minor benign polyp removal. Included GENERAL ANESTHESIA, of which they didn't inform me, in advance. I've never needed that in the past. Always a surprise or two in Mexico. There, that's probably enough details when it comes to colonoscopies, eh? :biggrin:

Even the generic drugs at the Farmarcia Similares are so inexpensive that I dont bother with the hassle of actually trying to go through a health care plan for drugs.

dtutko1 - 3-14-2014 at 09:37 AM

It would seem that if you met the financial requirements of a Visa Permanente, you would not qualify for Seguro Popular.

EnsenadaDr - 3-14-2014 at 09:51 AM

not true. In some cases, the enrollment is free regardless of your financial information.

[Edited on 3-14-2014 by EnsenadaDr]

EnsenadaDr - 3-14-2014 at 09:55 AM

You know Hook, I have to admire you paying out of pocket. There are some very well off Americans in Ensenada that want to get everything for free through Seguro Popular.

Quote:

Originally posted by Hook
Maybe I'm just jaded by the cost of procedures in the U.S. but the cost of basic procedures from the good doctors and the good hospitals in Mexico are basically cheap enough for me to pay out of pocket for those, too. So, dealing with the questionable quality at Seguro Popular approved facilites for basic procedures isnt worth it to me.

I gotta ask the wife what I paid for my first colonoscopy down here at the top hospital in Hermosillo, Sonora. It was about one quarter of the cost of my last one in the States. Included some minor benign polyp removal. Included GENERAL ANESTHESIA, of which they didn't inform me, in advance. I've never needed that in the past. Always a surprise or two in Mexico. There, that's probably enough details when it comes to colonoscopies, eh? :biggrin:

Even the generic drugs at the Farmarcia Similares are so inexpensive that I dont bother with the hassle of actually trying to go through a health care plan for drugs.

monoloco - 3-14-2014 at 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dtutko1
It would seem that if you met the financial requirements of a Visa Permanente, you would not qualify for Seguro Popular.

There is no restrictions due to income, they can choose to charge a fee based on your income but I don't believe that anyone can be disqualified because of their income. The most that I have heard of anyone being charged is 1500 pesos. As far as residente permanent, if the holder's income status changes from what it was when applied for their immigration status doesn't change. If your income goes to zero, you are still residente permanente, the income requirement only applies at the time you file for it. In theory one could have $120,000 in the bank which would qualify them for permanent residency, once residency was obtained they could use that money to buy a house, a boat, or gamble it away at Caliente.

Hook - 3-14-2014 at 09:57 AM

"In some cases................."

Boy, that's Mexican bureaucracy in a nutshell. Just fill in the function and it applies. :yes:

monoloco - 3-14-2014 at 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by EnsenadaDr
You know Hook, I have to admire you paying out of pocket. There are some very well off Americans in Ensenada that want to get everything for free through Seguro Popular.

Quote:

Even the generic drugs at the Farmarcia Similares are so inexpensive that I dont bother with the hassle of actually trying to go through a health care plan for drugs.

I view Seguro Popular as more of a safety net in case of a major health issue.

Hook - 3-14-2014 at 10:15 AM

But if it's a major health issue, would you really want to use a Seguro Popular source?

We carry catastrophic insurance with a high deductible for that kind of thing.

Of course, everyone's financial situation is different. Can't disregard that, when it comes to health care.

monoloco - 3-14-2014 at 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hook
But if it's a major health issue, would you really want to use a Seguro Popular source?

We carry catastrophic insurance with a high deductible for that kind of thing.

Of course, everyone's financial situation is different. Can't disregard that, when it comes to health care.

We had one of those high deductible catastrophic policies, the net effect was that it consumed such a significant portion of our incomes, it made it hard to afford the out of pocket expense of routine medical care, and left us in the position of actually self rationing needed procedures.

Alm - 3-29-2014 at 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by monoloco

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Nothing's free, somebody somewhere is paying... Perhaps the clinic will accept donations when services are provided so non-Mexicans will always be welcomed happily?

Mexico can't provide healthcare to its people, not to the standards that NOB people might expect anyway. Only public hospitals accept that Seguro, and as others noted, some of them (many!) are not places where you would want to be.

Yes, somebody is paying, there is a sliding scale tied to income and to housing conditions. If memory doesn't fail me, US social pension places you into the highest income tier - which is still a relatively low annual premium 5 or 6 thousand pesos a year. The system is poorly designed, and beside income there are naive questions on housing conditions, i.e. rental living, no DVD etc, and answering "yes" to those makes you look poor, on the paper.

EnsenadaDr - 3-29-2014 at 07:21 PM

If you live south of Ensenada, you will have to depend on the Mexican healthcare system unless you want to pay a $1600+ American Dollar ambulance ride To the US border. DavidE was an exception as an El Rosario company offered a free ride for him to the border. Unless you have plenty of money to pay out of pocket for private hospitals and/or you are sick enough to require life flight and have the insurance.

Actually the hospitals are getting better in Mexico and the doctors aren't any better in a private hospital than a public one, because working in IMSS, ISSTE, ISSTECALI or Seguro Popular you have a guaranteed income so most good physicians in Mexico have that job as a primary job. All in all, things are improving, equipment is newer and hospitals are being revamped and new ones built in the public sector. The annual premium is for IMSS, at the rate you are mentioning. Generally Seguro Popular charges little or nothing for its coverage.

Can I sign up in Loreto?

Howard - 11-7-2014 at 06:39 AM

Does anyone from Loreto have first hand experience in signing up?
If you can not sign up in Loreto, where is the nearest location to do so?
What photocopies do I need to bring?
Thanks,
Howard

BajaBlanca - 11-7-2014 at 08:22 AM

I am sure they mentioned Loreto when we recently changed locations from La Paz to San Ignacio. Outside the hospital in Loreto, there is most likely a big sign saying SEGURO POPULAR.

We had to take proof of residence, document with photo and in our case, the receipt from the bank showing we had paid our fee.

Mulegena - 11-7-2014 at 08:42 AM

In Loreto the new hospital on the highway is Seguro Popular affiliated, I believe. That is where you'd go to apply.