By Lic. Rodrigo Rodríguez //
Our constitution establishes on article four that every person has the right to the protection of health. Our supreme law does not make distinctions among Mexican citizens, foreign residents or visitors. So basically, any human being in Mexican territory is entitled to receive medical attention despite his/her national origin. On the same paragraph, however the law establishes that rules of access to state health services are subject to a specific federal and state regulation.
Even though foreign nationals are not excluded to some degree of protection by government health institutions, in practice full medical attention is conditioned and varies to a series of specific requirements by a health program, location and even hospital policies.
In general an expat has the same state health choices as any Mexican national: Seguro Popular, IMSS (Mexican Social Security Institute) or the local state network. To enroll to any of the above-mentioned health systems foreigners have been requested to provide certain documentations depending on the program.
To qualify to most state health systems foreign nationals need to prove nationality by a valid passport, legal residence, either temporary or permanent, CURP (the national resident code which is like the Social Security Number in USA) and in some cases, apostilled birth certificates with an official translation and letters establishing clear identity if the birth certificate doesn’t match the same name as on the passport, which is the identity that set the legal name of any foreign national in Mexico. Certain local health systems also request proof of address by showing utility bills under the foreign national name, or even local driver licenses belonging to the applicant for health services. The above-mentioned requirements do not exclude potential yearly fees that are calculated depending on the age of the petitioner. Usually preexisting conditions make the petitioner ineligible.
Access to government health systems to people without resident status is more difficult when they come for short or seasonal visits since it is necessary to be resident to receive medical care while they enjoy the country. But being difficult doesn’t make it impossible. It is highly recommendable to be covered by a Mexican health network, not only to avoid high private hospital bills, but sometimes it is the only way to get treated in remote locations where there are only government medical facilities.
Visit your closest Mexican government hospital and ask for the requirements to receive attention. Sometimes policies vary from institution to institution, or if you prefer, there are a series of expats companies which can help you give a closer look to the requirements and eligibility policies so you can choose a suitable health protection system for you.
By Lic. Rodrigo Rodriguez, Director
YucatanVisa Immigration Services
Paseo Colón No. 503 Suite R
Col. García Ginerés, C.P. 97070,
Mérida, Yucatán
Tel. (999) 285 73 22
Fax. (999) 920 20 74
Cellphone. (999) 310 11 40
Toll Free US and Canada 1 844 301 17 70
