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fug

Jan 7, 2012, 1:41 PM

Post #1 of 18 (2029 views)

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Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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I have been a member of IMSS for six years and renewal is due for the 7th soon. They are not treating us old foreigners well, here in lakeside. They are tossing us out right and left. I have never used it. It is my catastrophic insurance only. Do not need meds or monthly visits, as I can afford that on my own. No health issues at this point in time. Then there is Seguro Popular. It is basically free and available to all that are permanent residents in Mexico, as am I. My maid and gardener's family have it and think it is great. Do not know any expats, like me, that have it. Which one? Or both? Would appreciate your thoughts. Please identify which state in Mexico you live should you decide to respond. I live in Jalisco and do not have health insurance in the States, nor can I afford to pay for private insurance here. I am 68. Thanks, fug

Rolly

Jan 7, 2012, 2:23 PM

Post #2 of 18 (2014 views)

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Re: [fug] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?
You cannot have both. Seguro Poular provides coverage at General Hospitals only.

Most cities have a General Hospital to serve those who do not have IMSS coverage and cannot afford a private hospital. These are not, technically, charity hospitals, but their fees are generally quite low and often are negotiable. Some are rather plain vanilla, others are excellent and may be better than the IMSS down the street.

Seguro Popular is a basic health insurance plan associated with the General Hospitals. It is a very low cost health insurance program sponsored by the federal government for any one who does not have a health insurance program such as IMSS. Non-citizens are accepted. Unlike IMSS and other insurance plans, Seguro Popular does not exclude pre-existing conditions, and no physical is required. The policies are issued for a two-year period and can be renewed. The policy only covers services from the General Hospitals.

Rolly Pirate

(This post was edited by Rolly on Jan 7, 2012, 2:24 PM)

fug

Jan 7, 2012, 2:34 PM

Post #3 of 18 (2005 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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La Isla

Jan 7, 2012, 3:47 PM

Post #4 of 18 (1987 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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Seguro Popular is a basic health insurance plan associated with the General Hospitals. It is a very low cost health insurance program sponsored by the federal government for any one who does not have a health insurance program such as IMSS. Non-citizens are accepted. Unlike IMSS and other insurance plans, Seguro Popular does not exclude pre-existing conditions, and no physical is required. The policies are issued for a two-year period and can be renewed. The policy only covers services from the General Hospitals.

I thought that to be eligible for Seguro Popular, you had to have a very low income. It doesn´t seem right to me that a program put into place for the poorest Mexicans should also be available to non-citizens, none of whom would be living here if they were in really desperate financial straits.

fug

Jan 7, 2012, 4:04 PM

Post #5 of 18 (1974 views)

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Re: [La Isla] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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This program was started by the current president of Mexico shortly after his election in 2006, to provide free medical care to all full-time inhabitants of Mexico, regardless of their nationality or citizenship. fug

fug

Jan 7, 2012, 4:15 PM

Post #6 of 18 (1967 views)

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Re: [La Isla] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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With or without your approval, this is the current law in this country. fug

Rolly

Jan 7, 2012, 4:26 PM

Post #7 of 18 (1966 views)

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Re: [La Isla] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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There is not a means test for Seguro Popular or General Hospitals. Maybe there should be.

My medical student friend recently suggested that I sign up for SP so I could go to the General Hospital for physical therapy for my injured arm. He was quite surprised when I refused, explaining that I could afford to see the doctor at his private practice, and I thought it unfair for me to use the limited resources of the hospital.

He did not understand the role of SP and the general hospitals were he has spent training time. Upon reflection, he realized that, indeed, the patients did seem to be poor folks. This is another example where medical training does not always connect with the real world.

Rolly Pirate

(This post was edited by Rolly on Jan 7, 2012, 4:27 PM)

La Isla

Jan 7, 2012, 4:35 PM

Post #8 of 18 (1958 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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I had thought there was a means test for signing up for Seguro Popular and agree with Rolly that maybe there should be. If I had the chance to use a SP hospital, I would turn it down for the same reason that Rolly mentions. I find it odd that a medical student had no idea what societal role SP and Hospitales Generales play in Mexico. I guess sociology is not part of the curriculum.

tashby

Jan 7, 2012, 6:47 PM

Post #9 of 18 (1933 views)

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Re: [La Isla] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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I'm not going to get into the "whether or not there should be...." anything debate. I understand and respect the reasonings involved, etc.

I'll just volunteer some info, instead.

I listen to a local Guadalajara radio station fairly often, to enjoy the music (and help with my Spanish). The Seguro Popular solicitations encouraging enrollment - anuncios y promociones if that's correct Spanish - have been ongoing and relentless for at least the last two years.

What that means I cannot say, but the program sure is being promoted.

Rolly

Jan 7, 2012, 7:10 PM

Post #10 of 18 (1921 views)

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Re: [tashby] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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It's being promoted all over the country. The government wants to achieve total universal coverage.

Rolly Pirate

La Isla

Jan 7, 2012, 7:58 PM

Post #11 of 18 (1907 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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The government wants to achieve total universal coverage.

If only that were true of the government NOB . . .

richmx2

Jan 7, 2012, 9:02 PM

Post #12 of 18 (1895 views)

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Re: [La Isla] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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"It doesn´t seem right to me that a program put into place for the poorest Mexicans should also be available to non-citizens, none of whom would be living here if they were in really desperate financial straits."

Considering most foreigners in Mexico are Guatemalans, Hondurans, Salvadorians, West Indians, Russians, etc. who came here because Mexico is relatively wealthy compared to wherever "home" was, and who benefit from programs like Seguro Popular.

Gringo retirees are hardly the majority of foreigners in Mexico and people like La Isla and myself — foreigners able to support themselves totally on their Mexican income — are a minority of that minority. Why assume laws or policies that affect foreigners were developed with people like us in mind?

http://mexfiles.net
http://voiceofmexico.com
http://editorialmazatlan.com

La Isla

Jan 7, 2012, 9:16 PM

Post #13 of 18 (1888 views)

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Re: [richmx2] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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Excellent points, richmx2. I retract most of my comments about non-citizens being eligible for Seguro Popular. However, keep in mind that the discussion began when, fug, someone like us, made inquiries about signing up for SP.

Axixic

Jan 8, 2012, 5:52 AM

Post #14 of 18 (1840 views)

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Re: [La Isla] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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Seguro is not free for everyone. There are fees based on income.
http://www.seguro-popular.gob.mx/...id=83&Itemid=175

I think it is free for any pensioner according to a foreigner in SMA who signed up.

What happens if someone needs cancer treatment and IMSS boots that person off claiming a preexisting condition, chronic condition or the person wasn't truthful when he signed up a decade before?

Will it be OK to get treatment from Seguro Popular then?

If Seguro Popular thinks foreigners (us) are taking advantage of a program meant for Mexicans, I'm sure they will straighten it out. I think Mexicans are smart enough to think on their own and I don't need to do it for them, but that's just me. I don't see Mexicans as helpless and not too bright.

(This post was edited by Rolly on Jan 8, 2012, 7:17 AM)

Rolly

Jan 8, 2012, 7:27 AM

Post #15 of 18 (1823 views)

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Re: [Axixic] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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What happens if someone needs cancer treatment and IMSS boots that person off claiming a preexisting condition, chronic condition or the person wasn't truthful when he signed up a decade before?
Will it be OK to get treatment from Seguro Popular then?

Yes

Rolly Pirate

Axixic

Jan 8, 2012, 9:04 AM

Post #16 of 18 (1792 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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I'm not joining IMSS, pay for several years and then get booted. I will join Seguro Popular. If you read the posts by skier14, he was told he would be charged $38,500 MX by Seguro Popular for surgery, so it's not always free.

http://www.mexconnect.com/...;;page=unread#unread

If Mexico decides SP is only for the poor, it will let us know. I know Mexicans who own businesses and they use SP and love it. They don't receive healthcare from SP completely free because of their incomes. SP is not only for the poor and destitute. SP is Mexico's Universal Healthcare and is meant to cover everyone who does not have insurance.

(This post was edited by Rolly on Jan 8, 2012, 9:36 AM)

fug

Jan 8, 2012, 12:55 PM

Post #17 of 18 (1750 views)

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Re: [Axixic] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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Seguro Popular is not for poor folks and there is a charge for services depending upon your income. It was initiated by President Calderon, shortly after he was elected in 2006 and was meant to be a universal covereage for all people living in Mexico that had no health insurance covereage. As I am totally dependent upon my SS check, live in Mexico full-time for the past 7 years and do not have Medicare covereage, this sounds perfect for my situation. I have no problem paying whatever they charge for their services, based upon my income. In the meantime, I will seek private doctors, pay for my own meds, until I run out of money. At least they will not kick me out as IMSS has done to so many of us older expats here in Lakeside and I have been paying them for six years and never asked for anything from them I do not think at all that I am taking unfair advantage of anyone, when the President of Mexico has deemed that I am eligible for this healthcare plan. fug

Axixic

Jan 8, 2012, 4:00 PM

Post #18 of 18 (1711 views)

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Re: [fug] Seguro Poular, IMSS or both?

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I believe that SP doesn't charge pensioners according to Ajijic who joined it. Ajijic is collecting SS, considered a pensioner so they did not ask for proof of income.

There is a new SP hospital in Guadalajara that is considered an excellent hospital. My landlord is Mexican and he and his family has used the hospital. My landlord and his extended family are middle class, not destitute Mexicans and he told me I should join it.

Ajijic on the other board said the new SP hospital in SMA is state of the art. Calderon intends for all uninsured residents of Mexico to join SP and all the SP hospitals are being updated.

Parkland hospital in Dallas is a county/teaching hospital and free to those who cannot afford medical care When Kennedy was shot that is the hospital they took him to because it is equipped to handle emergencies and is part of Southwest Medical school. Not all public/general hospitals are bad hospitals.