Nancy's Big Adventure

[Vince Massi]

A few days ago, Nancy was knocked over by a large dog, landed on her eye (You ought to see the shiner she's got) and had to go into the Mexican National Medical System (IMSS). It turned out that she had scratched her inner ear with a Q-Tip, which had upset her balance. There was a mix of blood and ear wax inside her ear, plus she was seeing lights and floaters.

NANCY'S BIG ADVENTURE

In order to encourage more of my American friends to retire in Mexico I'm going to explain how the Mexican medical system works.

THE best Red Cross clinic in Mexico is here in Chapala. They are open 24 hours a day and have an English-speaking doctor on duty at all times. It is not part of the IMSS national insurance plan. They have equipment for heart attacks and other emergencies (usually scorpion stings), and have even delivered babies there. They have more equipment than an emergency room, but less than a hospital. There are also two private clinics that are about as good.

We went there, and a very nice doctor looked into Nancy's ear and explained that she would need a specialist with more equipment. She sent us to the nearest IMSS clinic--we have IMSS insurance. Total cost for the Red Cross exam? An $8 donation.

 

[Vince Massi]

And now it is time for part 2 of Nancy's big adventure. After you get onto the Mexican Health Insurances System (IMSS) you only have partial coverage for the first two years. Also, they will reject you if you are already sick. Nancy and I pay about $1200 US per year for the two of us. There is no deductible, and it includes all medicines. The hospitals are spotlessly clean. The doctors are better than American doctors. Everyone is very friendly and competent.

A couple in our church were paying $15,000 per year for both of them on a private US plan. A friend of our is paying $6,000 per year for Blue Cross and Medicare for himself. However, in Mexico, you have to bring your own toilet paper, your own pillow, and you have to have someone stay with you, even if the person has to sleep on the floor. If you don't speak Spanish, you must hire an interpreter.

When we took Nancy to two different hospitals to see an ear and an eye specialist, there was no charge. We spent about $110 US for the translator, gas, and parking. It took about 8.5 hours to drive to the hospitals in Guadalajara and back. For what we save per year, that was well worth it.

 

[kaba]

I guess that is why everyone is crossing the border to get IN?

 

[Vince Massi]

Now that we're all full of turkey, it's time for part three of Nancy's Big Adventure.

When you save thousands of dollars per year on medical insurance, and the medical care is as good as in the US, something has to give. We were supposed to bring a rewritable CD with us when we went to the IMSS hospital. They would put all of Nancy's records on it, and then we were responsible for saving it. That's right--in Mexico, you have to keep your own medical records. Private clinics and hospitals will do it for you, but they cost a lot more than the IMSS hospitals.

We hired Myra Neighbor as our translator and navigator for 1000 pesos ($88) for every 12 hours, plus meals. Mayra brought blankets and a pillow in case she had to stay with Nancy, and off we went in our van. Mayra easily navigated to Hospital 120, a spotlessly clean, new hospital. The security guards were very nice and took us to the right area. I paid 88 cents to park my car for four hours and bought some coffee for all of us, including the security guard in the emergency room. In less than an hour, a very friendly doctor had examined Nancy's ear and sent her on to the specialist. I began exploring the hospital and got lost, but a doctor led me back to Nancy and Mayra.

Nancy had scratched her inner ear with a Q-tip, and the doctor explained that Q-tips ought to be banned and that you should never clean your ear with one. While we were waiting, Mayra and I set off on foot into a nearby community to buy the rewritable CD we were supposed to have brought with us. They put her records onto the CD and sent us on to the eye specialist at Hospital 89.

Now, I need to explain. In the US, doctors routinely perform thousands of dollars worth of unnecessary tests in order to prevent malpractice suits. They don't do that in Mexico. If you have a rare condition, they might miss it. You can't sue, because those expensive tests are not standard procedure. Yes, you can buy private insurance for a hospital that will do those tests, and it will still cost less than US insurance.

It was night time now, and we set off for Hospital 89.