Retirees in the U.S., Don’t move to Mexico Unless You’re In Good Health

Photo by Wasa Crispbread on Unsplash

I’ve been MIA for about a month meaning I haven’t written anything. A friend on Medium asked me where I’ve been. The problem is I have too many interests and can’t give adequate time to all of them at once. I’m an artist and have been concentrating on painting while neglecting Medium and my Spanish study. With that out of the way, I’ll get onto the topic of my title.

Many readers know that I moved to Mazatlan alone at 71. I had never visited Mexico or even been out of the country. I researched the move for three years before taking the plunge.

Initially, I planned to move to Puerta Vallarta. Since California is my home state, I decided I’d start in Mazatlan because it’s just a two-hour flight to Phoenix to change planes and then another two-hour flight to Sacramento, my destination. If I didn’t like Mazatlan, I’d move on to another city and give it a try. I’ll explore that decision in another article.

What I want my readers to know, both young and old, is that you will need health insurance in Mexico. If you’re young and working, you can purchase health insurance at a reasonable rate. Retirees from the U.S. can’t use their medicare or health insurance in Mexico.

Doctor’s visits for minor things are very cheap. If you can afford to move to Mexico, you can afford a doctor’s visit. Medications are also cheap, and many of them, that you needed a prescription for in the U.S., can be purchased over the counter. My cholesterol medicine is an example. I got my teeth cleaned last week and it cost me USD 20.

However, a friend ended up in the hospital after passing out from a diabetic attack. While there, the doctors discovered that she needed her gallbladder removed. She received wonderful care, but the hospital wanted a few thousand dollars upfront. Some friends loaned it to her. As far as her U.S. United Medicare Advantage knows, she is on vacation. If you are vacationing, your insurance company will reimburse you or the hospital for any money spent. She has been waiting for almost a year for that reimbursement. Her friends are waiting for the money they loaned her. Mexico will not let her out of the country until she pays up.