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robt65

Mar 15, 2010, 8:18 PM

Post #1 of 30 (2965 views)

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Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the bill right away?

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Someone has asked me what would happen to a Mexican national if they had no insurance and they had to go to the hospital in an emergency, needed emergency surgery and did not have the money to pay the bill right away? I could not honestly answer this person. What would happen in such a case? As far as I have learned here on this site and other places there is no credit at Mexican hospitals? What happens to this person? This is a friend whose mother is in Mexico and is looking down the throat of a $2100 USD (about 30,000 MX Pesos) hospital bill. I didn't know what to tell them or suggest to them. I neglected to include in this situation that this woman is not working and has no prospects of a job. She is not old enough for retirement anyway. She does not have IMSS. Her family can pay but it couldn't be for 30 days or maybe more.

Anyone have any ideas?

Robert

(This post was edited by robt65 on Mar 15, 2010, 8:21 PM)

Manuel Dexterity

Mar 15, 2010, 9:35 PM

Post #2 of 30 (2935 views)

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Re: [robt65] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the bil

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Where is she located? Is there a Hospital Civil nearby?

(This post was edited by Manuel Dexterity on Mar 15, 2010, 9:40 PM)

esperanza

Mar 15, 2010, 10:09 PM

Post #3 of 30 (2922 views)

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Re: [robt65] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the bil

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Hospital Civil was my first thought. There is also ISSTE; is there a chance she could be eligible for their hospital services?

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

mazbook1

Mar 15, 2010, 10:52 PM

Post #4 of 30 (2907 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the

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The local "Hospital Civil" is called in many areas of México the "Hospital General". They charge whatever the uninsured person can afford to pay, with little haggling. I know of both uninsured expats and uninsured Mexican citizens who have used the local Hospital General. They turn no one away!

robt65

Mar 16, 2010, 5:55 AM

Post #5 of 30 (2875 views)

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Re: [mazbook1] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the

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Thanks to all who answered my question. I am going to try to make the contact today and see what can be done. It seems everyday I keep earning more and more about Mexico that I did not know the day before. I feel more comfortable now being able to offer at least some suggestion.

Esperanza, what exactly is ISSTE? Now maybe I can learn yet more other useful information.

Thanks again to all who offered information.

Robert

esperanza

Mar 16, 2010, 10:09 AM

Post #6 of 30 (2804 views)

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Re: [robt65] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the

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http://www.issste.gob.mx/www/index2.html

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Rolly

Mar 16, 2010, 10:38 AM

Post #7 of 30 (2791 views)

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Re: [robt65] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the

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ISSTE is medical care for government employees and their families. Similar to IMSS.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

sparks

Mar 16, 2010, 11:18 AM

Post #8 of 30 (2779 views)

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Re: [mazbook1] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the

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I wonder if they differ. We had a five year old break his elbow and Manzanillo General sent us out to a medical supply place to buy the pin and a few other things the surgeon needed.

Someone stayed over night with him and the next day we heard they would hold him until the $1500 pesos was paid. I didn't hear the original conversation but maybe different services require prompt payment?

While we were there they turned away a drunk that had cut his leg with a machete

Sparks Mexico - Sparks Costalegre

robt65

Mar 16, 2010, 12:59 PM

Post #9 of 30 (2741 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the

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Hi Rolly,

I take it then rolly since this person is not working that she has no options under this ISSTE. Would that be correct to assume? (really doon't like assuming in Mexico! (smiling)

robt65

Mar 16, 2010, 1:03 PM

Post #10 of 30 (2736 views)

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Re: [sparks] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the

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Hi mazbook1

Thanks for this insight. Sure let some air out of my balloon of hope though! (again smiling)
Again (as seems to be the norm in Mexico) I guess each Hospital General in each state or City has it's own rules . . . . Is this correct?
Thanks for the response

Robert

Rolly

Mar 16, 2010, 1:04 PM

Post #11 of 30 (2735 views)

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Re: [robt65] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the

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I don't know what her status is.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

robt65

Mar 16, 2010, 1:36 PM

Post #12 of 30 (2727 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the

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Thanks Rolly.

Her status is that she has no working family they all live on her fathers social security. She has no relatives working. She is needing surgery and cannot afford to pay right away for it. She and her family can pay for it but it will take about 60 or maybe 90 days to pay it all off. She is a 45 year old pregnant woman who will for sure have to have a Caesarian. If she keeps waiting, and she can only wait so long, she will most likely have to go for emergency surgery, someplace.

Robert

esperanza

Mar 16, 2010, 3:01 PM

Post #13 of 30 (2685 views)

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Re: [robt65] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the

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It seems to me that asking here on the forum has given you a couple of suggestions. Now I think you need to ask at the source: at the Hospital Civil nearest where she lives and at the ISSTE office nearest where she lives. Some ISSTE services are available to folks who are not members.

If she is dealing with a pregnancy-related issue, she definitely needs to be seen DURING her pregnancy and should not wait till it's time for delivery. Costs for childbirth are usually very low at the Hospital Civil. Several years ago, a friend of mine paid about 500 pesos. YMMV.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

robt65

Mar 16, 2010, 3:08 PM

Post #14 of 30 (2676 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the

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Thank you very much Esperanza.

I agree with you and I have already forwarded that information to her. I appreciate all your suggestions.

Robert

Moisheh

Mar 16, 2010, 7:40 PM

Post #15 of 30 (2632 views)

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Re: [robt65] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the

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Perhaps in different states the systems are different. In Sonora only Government employees can use ISSTE. I tried to buy into that program but could not. The ISSTE hospitals and Drs. are not hopeless like the IMSS. IMSS do turn away people all the time. Especially indigenous peoples! Often what happens is the family of the sick person tries to raise the funds: on street corners, raffles and selling of assets. Very sad situation. We had a diver in Kino that got the bends. THere is no decompression chamber in Kino. There is a private clinic in Hermosillo with the right equipment. With lots of fundraising and turning over the title to a house his family had enough $ for a few treatments. When he needed more the clinic stopped the treatments. He had no Seguro and is now a vegetable!

Moisheh

robt65

Mar 17, 2010, 5:35 AM

Post #16 of 30 (2573 views)

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Re: [Moisheh] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the

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Moisheh

Thanks for your response. Again another that is not pleasant to hear. At first when the answers started coming in I was really impressed . . . . now the pendulum is swinging the other way. It is a sad story for sure. Sounds like there are probably thousands of others that maybe be similar. I also found out yesterday another reason this woman has such great fears is that evidently there are some unscrupulous doctors that actually steal the baby and then tell the mother their baby was still born. Especially from single mothers or mothers that have other predicaments where there is no chance of any kind of an investigation. So these women go into a hospital not only requiring surgery, but additional pressure from planning on how to live as a single mother, plus the possibility of caring a baby for nine months and then having the child stolen. That has to be the lowest of the low. Someday's this is a pretty rotten world we are living in.

Robert

mexijo

Mar 17, 2010, 5:37 AM

Post #17 of 30 (2571 views)

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Re: [robt65] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the bil

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The Fox administration established a Medical Insurance that is open to anyone at a very small monthly fee. It's called "seguro popular".
http://www.seguro-popular.gob.mx/...d=100&Itemid=137

Get her enrolled there as fast as you can.

I have also heard propaganda advertisements on the radio by the federal government that all pregnant women have now the right to medical care.
____________________________
www.house-oaxaca.com

(This post was edited by Rolly on Mar 17, 2010, 8:51 AM)

robt65

Mar 17, 2010, 5:42 AM

Post #18 of 30 (2571 views)

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Re: [mexijo] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the bil

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Mexijo,

Hi and good morning. Maybe . . . just maybe . . . . . . . is therer a glimmer of hope. Thanks for that information. I will have her look into that. Do you (or does anyone) know if there is a preexisting clause in this insurance?

Robert

mexijo

Mar 17, 2010, 5:44 AM

Post #19 of 30 (2570 views)

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Re: [robt65] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the

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I would discard that as an urban myth. But people are paranoic.
____________________________
www.house-oaxaca.com

mexijo

Mar 17, 2010, 5:47 AM

Post #20 of 30 (2570 views)

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Re: [robt65] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the bil

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As it is not a private insurance company but public that should not be a problem I expect.
But you will encounter waiting, bureucracy and a lot of red tape.
____________________________
www.house-oaxaca.com

robt65

Mar 17, 2010, 6:03 AM

Post #21 of 30 (2568 views)

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Re: [mexijo] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the bil

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Mexijo,

I had a look at that site and it seems to cover much for sure. It appears at first blush to cover quite a bit. I don't know if she will have the time required to go through the red tape or not but I think she should give it a try. the one thing I did not see covered after my electronic translation though was Caesarian surgery. Who knows maybe it does . . it is certainly worth further investigation. That is really a new one for me. Thanks for posting that information. Maybe some other folks here have some Mexican friends or household staff that should know about this insurance. Thanks again Mexijo.

Robert

Moisheh

Mar 17, 2010, 6:20 AM

Post #22 of 30 (2561 views)

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Re: [robt65] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the bil

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Seguro Popular is a great program. They do have to pay something but it is affordable. Unfortunately this program is very limited in coverage. I do not know all the details but it sounded more like an emergency care program. Very few medicines available. With normal IMSS if the General hospital cannot preform a surgery they send you to a private hospital and cover the cost! Not so with Popular.

Moisheh

robt65

Mar 17, 2010, 6:26 AM

Post #23 of 30 (2556 views)

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Re: [Moisheh] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the bi

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Thanks Again Moisheh,

This has to be of some help I would think. I have already sent her that information.

Robert

Moisheh

Mar 17, 2010, 6:32 AM

Post #24 of 30 (2551 views)

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Re: [robt65] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the bi

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It appears that the information I was given is completely WRONG.
http://www.seguro-popular.gob.mx/...mp;id=5&Itemid=6

The coverage described at this web site is excellent! There is mention of a fmaily limit but no details. I can just see all the Chapalla expats lining up for insurance!!!!!

Moisheh

robt65

Mar 17, 2010, 6:40 AM

Post #25 of 30 (2546 views)

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Re: [Moisheh] Mexican National for emergency including surgery & hospital stay and cannot pay the bi

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Moisheh

Don't beat up on yourself quite yet. From what I read none of the Ex Pats in Mexico would qualify. First, it appears that one has to be a Mexican National to qualify. It is what it is and should be. There should be some kind of program such as this solely for MEXICAN NATIONALS and not for Ex Pats who are only looking for a cheaper way to have some kind of coverage. (I am sure that comment will get me some "hate mail") but that is the way it should be. While there appears to be a number of hoops to jump through, that in itself is a good thing for a program such as this if it is going to be kept as it was obviously meant to be. . . . . . for those persons of Mexican nationality that for any number of reasons would be in danger of loosing their health without such a program. The woman I spoke of is a Mexican National and this just might work for her . . . . . . time will tell. All in all it is something that I was not aware of. I am sure there are many people like Rolly who have many, many Mexican friends that also may now have a little more information they can pass on to these friends in times of conversation.

Robert

(This post was edited by robt65 on Mar 17, 2010, 6:44 AM)

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