Seguro Popular - Important Information

Is that retaliation for The 5% tax on Mexico's exports?

Hi to all, first, this is not retaliation for what Señor Trump decides.

Second, I, personally, know numerous foreigners that have the permanent or temporary resident status and don't even stay in Mexico more then 5 months a year (snowbirds) and are enrolled with either Seguro popular or IMSS saying it's cheaper than personal travel insurance from the country they live in.

Third,  I, personally, think the Mexican Immigration (INM) should be more strict in the issuance of the residency status and follow-up on the one's having it. There is a new VISA in the list of INM visas (frequent visitor/traveller valid for 10 years).

Adios y buen dia a todos, GyC.

Seguro Popular & IMSS programs cannot be compared to private health insurance.

Both are public health plans and are dependent on the availability of medications, doctor specialists, operating rooms, nurses, etc.

IMSS and Seguro Popular hospitals are currently experiencing shortages of these services.

More importantly than "cheap", individuals should consider the availability of the above forementioned services as well as the quality of care.

Consider too that there are many affordable health insurance plans available to Expats in Mexico that offer access to the best private hospitals, doctors, and specialists in Mexico.

Except that there are people with pre-existing conditions or that are over 70 years of age that these health insurance agencies will not provide service for. So, if you fall into that category what are you supposed to do if you can't get IMSS or Seguro Popular?

Dear Mike,

Thanks for your questions.

The four options for individuals 75 and over who are looking for health insurance in Mexico include:

1. Senior health plan - they do exist!

2. Short-term health plan

3. Self insure (create a medical savings account for major medical expenses)

4. Air evacuation plans - although they don´t cover all types of medical emergencies / diagnosis, it is an option to consider.

If you have any additional questions about the above options, feel free to send me a private message.

Best,
Melanie

MikeGB wrote:

Except that there are people with pre-existing conditions or that are over 70 years of age that these health insurance agencies will not provide service for. So, if you fall into that category what are you supposed to do if you can't get IMSS or Seguro Popular?

Seguro Popular is still available to all citizens and legal residents. The new government is not legally able to exclude legal residents. There are anti-discrimination laws in place in Mexico. The INM - SEGOB 2011 Immigration Law gives rights to join socialized medicine to legal residents. I don't think this will change.

alleycat1 wrote:

Seguro Popular is still available to all citizens and legal residents. The new government is not legally able to exclude legal residents. There are anti-discrimination laws in place in Mexico. The INM - SEGOB 2011 Immigration Law gives rights to join socialized medicine to legal residents. I don't think this will change.

If that is the case why are people being denied access to Seguro Popular at the moment?

Melanie, like I said before if a person has a pre-existing condition they are excluded from acquiring medical insurance. I have already tried. and mu only problem is Ulcerative Colitis that I am able to manage quite well with probiotics.

MikeGB wrote:

alleycat1 wrote:

Seguro Popular is still available to all citizens and legal residents. The new government is not legally able to exclude legal residents. There are anti-discrimination laws in place in Mexico. The INM - SEGOB 2011 Immigration Law gives rights to join socialized medicine to legal residents. I don't think this will change.

If that is the case why are people being denied access to Seguro Popular at the moment?

The Morena Party of AMLO are in some states and are a bunch of crooked politicians with no regard for the constitution or current laws or people if it suits their agenda to turn Mexico into a one party country. It is a power grab but the Supreme Court will stop what they can. Don't worry main stream media is exposing every lie they make and every illegal policy they make. This being just one of many. Civil rights groups also will sue them where necessary.

alleycat1 wrote:

The Morena Party of AMLO are in some states and are a bunch of crooked politicians with no regard for the constitution or current laws or people if it suits their agenda to turn Mexico into a one party country. It is a power grab but the Supreme Court will stop what they can. Don't worry main stream media is exposing every lie they make and every illegal policy they make. This being just one of many. Civil rights groups also will sue them where necessary.

Can you verify these things you are saying?

MikeGB wrote:

alleycat1 wrote:

The Morena Party of AMLO are in some states and are a bunch of crooked politicians with no regard for the constitution or current laws or people if it suits their agenda to turn Mexico into a one party country. It is a power grab but the Supreme Court will stop what they can. Don't worry main stream media is exposing every lie they make and every illegal policy they make. This being just one of many. Civil rights groups also will sue them where necessary.

Can you verify these things you are saying?

Yes.

alleycat1 wrote:

MikeGB wrote:

alleycat1 wrote:

The Morena Party of AMLO are in some states and are a bunch of crooked politicians with no regard for the constitution or current laws or people if it suits their agenda to turn Mexico into a one party country. It is a power grab but the Supreme Court will stop what they can. Don't worry main stream media is exposing every lie they make and every illegal policy they make. This being just one of many. Civil rights groups also will sue them where necessary.

Can you verify these things you are saying?

Yes.

Then please do so so that I can have some assurance of what you say is true.

Hello
I have definitive resident card en Mexico
This year,  I have paid 11.ooo pesos /year ( I paid 6000 last year) -- I am 72 years old
I discovered that for a disease you already had before beeing registred in the IMSS, they will not do anything for you.
I have one year to think about if it is really interesting to be registred in the IMSS
For those who does not know this
Sorry for my bad english
Have a nice day

No. This is "retaliation" for not having sufficient funds in the healthcare budget. MX citizens are suffering from reduction of services, funds to upgrade or repair critical diagnostic equipment, reduction in coverage of medication.

mitsuko46 wrote:

Hello
I have definitive resident card en Mexico
This year,  I have paid 11.ooo pesos /year ( I paid 6000 last year) -- I am 72 years old
I discovered that for a disease you already had before beeing registred in the IMSS, they will not do anything for you.
I have one year to think about if it is really interesting to be registred in the IMSS
For those who does not know this
Sorry for my bad english
Have a nice day

Hi "mitsuko46", the IMSS services/affiliation will/could be denied based on specific preexisting disease and the annual cost is based on age bracket of 10 years starting at age 20  and increases year based on various factors.
Preexisting conditions and waiting period for IMSS http://www.imss.gob.mx/derechoH/enferme … os-familia
So if you are 72, then the 70-79 bracket should apply since 3 years, this year, as of March 1st 2019, it's $10750, last year it was $9050 (not $6000), in 2017 it was $7650
Also, the cost of providing services is available http://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php? … 28/12/2017
My wife and I are covered by IMSS and very happy, no cost for all meds, osteoporosis injection, also very good emergency services.
Private sector insurance is more expensive and restritive some also don't cover persons over 75.

Adios y buen dia a todos, GyC.

Hello mexicogc

Thank you for your post. Costs and services are very diferent according to your residence, I live en Guadalajara, Zapopan, big city.
I don't understand what the list of "cost of providing services " is for?

mitsuko46 wrote:

Hello mexicogc

Thank you for your post. Costs and services are very diferent according to your residence, I live en Guadalajara, Zapopan, big city.
I don't understand what the list of "cost of providing services " is for?

1st, IMSS is government operated so the cost to affiliate must be the same across the country.
2nd, I have a Mexican friend living in Zapopan and told me that in the previous presidential eras often meds would be unavailable
3rd, the link of costs is to inform you of the cost you would have to pay if not affiliated. I think that IMSS would send you an informative voucher if you have surgery or hospitalized.

Adios y buen dia a todos, GyC.

Hello mexicogc

Thank you!

to MexicoGC. Unfortunately, if what they are saying at the Seguro Popular is true, you will not be able to renew with IMSS when your 3 year registration expires. I was told that I could not register with either, and that temporal and permanente residents would no longer be eligible for these services unless they become Mexican Citizens.

I've read that 50 million Mexicans are without medical coverage, so it does make sense that they would reorganize the system in a way that prioritizes Mexicans. I'm sure it will be a big adjustment for expats who have been using the services. I plan on becoming a citizen.

toddphillips wrote:

to MexicoGC. Unfortunately, if what they are saying at the Seguro Popular is true, you will not be able to renew with IMSS when your 3 year registration expires. I was told that I could not register with either, and that temporal and permanente residents would no longer be eligible for these services unless they become Mexican Citizens.

I've read that 50 million Mexicans are without medical coverage, so it does make sense that they would reorganize the system in a way that prioritizes Mexicans. I'm sure it will be a big adjustment for expats who have been using the services. I plan on becoming a citizen.

HI "toddphillips", at IMSS the affiliation is on a yearly basis not 3 years, so my renewal is during September, I will let you know if I have any problem.

Also, based on the hearsay this would mean that all the migrants from Guatemala, Honduas, Colombia, China, Cuba, etc... with the residency card status wouldn't be accepted to IMSS or Seguro popular and I personally know a few!!!

Here's a link to the criteria of affiliation where your ID could be the FM2 or FM3
http://www.imss.gob.mx/tramites/registro-umf

Adios y buen dia a todos, GyC.

toddphillips wrote:

to MexicoGC. Unfortunately, if what they are saying at the Seguro Popular is true, you will not be able to renew with IMSS when your 3 year registration expires. I was told that I could not register with either, and that temporal and permanente residents would no longer be eligible for these services unless they become Mexican Citizens.

That is exactly what I had heard as well.

toddphillips wrote:

to MexicoGC. Unfortunately, if what they are saying at the Seguro Popular is true, you will not be able to renew with IMSS when your 3 year registration expires. I was told that I could not register with either, and that temporal and permanente residents would no longer be eligible for these services unless they become Mexican Citizens.

I've read that 50 million Mexicans are without medical coverage, so it does make sense that they would reorganize the system in a way that prioritizes Mexicans. I'm sure it will be a big adjustment for expats who have been using the services. I plan on becoming a citizen.

AMLO many times for many years stated 50,000,000 Mexicans have no medical insurance. This is a lie. IMSS has 54,000,000 members. Seguro Popular has about 59,000,000 members. Mexico's population is 134,000,000. 54,000,000 + 59,000,000 = 113,000,000 insured Mexicans and legal residents. Leaving about 21,000,000 Mexicans outside these two socialized medicine plans. ISSSTE, Pemex, Military have many enrolled in there federal funded medical insurance plans and some people have private medical insurance. Where are the 50,000,000 without medical insurance he claims exist? They are enrolled in the Seguro Pouplar which ALMO denies exits. He is trying to take credit for insuring Mexicans that the previous two admininstrations spent many billions of dollars on when creating the Seguro Popular when he is not doing anything except so far firing 84,000 Seguro Popular employees and cutting the budget of the Seguro Popular so he can state it needs to be eliminated and replaced with his new health care plan and therefore insuring 50,000,000 "uninsured" people. One of many things this administration is doing to take credit for "helping" Mexicans.

First Last wrote:

No. This is "retaliation" for not having sufficient funds in the healthcare budget. MX citizens are suffering from reduction of services, funds to upgrade or repair critical diagnostic equipment, reduction in coverage of medication.

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/govern … -medicine/

"Public hospitals and healthcare clinics continue to face medicine shortages, according to a pharmaceutical industry leader who also says the federal government hasn't considered the logistics and costs of distributing the drugs it plans to purchase in 2020.

Hospitals in at least 24 states reported shortages of medicines last month and the problem still “hasn't been controlled,” said Rafael Gual Cosío, head of the National Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (Canifarma).

“It continues because the federal government stopped buying,” he said, explaining that the current administration has only purchased 20% of the medicines its predecessor committed to for 2019.

“[The government] should have bought 50% of what was agreed to [by now] . . . but it's not more than 20% on average. It stopped buying and that's why there's a shortage,” Gual added.

Gual said that in 38 years working in the industry, he has never seen a medicine shortage as bad as what the nation is currently facing."

The new administration is responsible for all the turmoil not the previous administration which had medical systems budgeted correctly, built hundreds of new fully equiped clinics and state of the art hospitals and upgraded medical equipment needed for both the IMSS and Seguro Popular. They spent many billions of dollars on Mexicos socialized heath care systems in Mexico [ one of their crowning achievements ] and now it is being sabatoged by the current administration.

MikeGB wrote:

alleycat1 wrote:

The Morena Party of AMLO are in some states and are a bunch of crooked politicians with no regard for the constitution or current laws or people if it suits their agenda to turn Mexico into a one party country. It is a power grab but the Supreme Court will stop what they can. Don't worry main stream media is exposing every lie they make and every illegal policy they make. This being just one of many. Civil rights groups also will sue them where necessary.

Can you verify these things you are saying?

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/hospit … e-to-cuts/

"Hospitals warn of insolvency due to cuts but AMLO insists there have been none
Directors of 11 facilities claim 2.3 billion pesos has been withheld or cut

Friday, May 24, 2019

Hospitals and national health institutes have warned that they are on the brink of insolvency due to federal budget cuts and the freezing of funds, threatening their ability to operate.

At a meeting with members of the budget committee of the lower house of Congress yesterday, the directors of nine government health institutes and two public hospitals said that a total of 2.3 billion pesos (US $120.7 million) has either been cut or withheld from their budgets as a result of austerity measures.

They demanded that the federal government release additional resources to ensure that they can continue to provide care to patients.

The document entitled Position of National Health Institutes in the Face of Budget Cuts said that 50% of the budget allocated to the Federico Gómez hospital in Mexico City to subcontract medical services has been frozen.

It also said that the hospital faced shortages of anesthetics and nitric oxide, undermining its capacity to schedule surgeries and threatening the adequate treatment of serious medical conditions in newborn babies.

The document added that the hospital only has enough funds to pay cleaning staff until July and warned that nurses and lab technicians may have to be laid off."

More shenanigans of the current administration.

toddphillips wrote:

He is trying to take credit for insuring Mexicans that the previous two admininstrations spent many billions of dollars on when creating the Seguro Popular when he is not doing anything except so far firing 84,000 Seguro Popular employees and cutting the budget of the Seguro Popular so he can state it needs to be eliminated and replaced with his new health care plan and therefore insuring 50,000,000 "uninsured" people. One of many things this administration is doing to take credit for "helping" Mexicans.

Correction: Not 84,000 Seguro Popular employees but it should be 84,000 federal government employees as of January - probably more by now, I would guess. They fired 10,000 federal government employees in the public health sector so far. The financial cuts are huge.

https://www.am.com.mx/opinion/Cronica-d … -0002.html

Google Translation:

" OPINION

Chronicle of announced deaths

In my 41 years as a doctor I had never seen a crisis in the health sector of this magnitude, so much maleficent and incompetence announced as charities for supposedly fighting against corruption, which augurs in Mexicans a chronicle of announced deaths.

By Dr. Éctor Jaime Ramírez Barba

June 15

Javier Potes has just told a scene that describes full body just the phenomenon of what is already happening, which he called 'Schlinder's list in hospitals in Mexico'; using the voice of Jorge, a 34-year-old cardiologist who works at the National Institute of Cardiology, one of the thirteen high-level national institutes that depend on the Ministry of Health (as well, with lowercase letters) and as mentioned by this writer in columns past, they are on the verge of collapse due to the reduction of all kinds of resources.
Jorge the cardiologist works on the evaluation of patients with heart problems and is one of those responsible for programming the procedures for the placement of "stents", which duly give years of quality of life to hundreds of patients. Jorge is not a technical doctor who sees folios; he attends to lives, families, dreams and hopes in each of them, so it is not surprising that he is looking for solutions beyond his responsibilities.

Jorge told him, "I have Schindler's list," that's what the National Institute of Cardiology calls a list of more than 300 patients who could die if they are not treated within a year. Being on that list can save your life, not being is unthinkable. From that list some are already urgent, others - without knowing it - will play their luck hoping to arrive alive when there is the possibility of attending them in six or eight months or never. But the chances that they will be served today are few, there is no money at all ... the government's solution to reduce the costs of care is to let them die, regardless of whether we deprive them of ten or fifteen more years of life, something has to be done and we do not know what to do"."

Another main stream news article explaining what is going on right now. There are hundreds of them to read. Not only in the socialized medicine sector but other sectors as well.