Health Insurance for Foreigners Living in Mexico. Get a free quote here!

By Sara Moen

Being a foreigner living abroad can be challenging enough without having to think about travel, or long-term health insurance. When we first moved here from Seattle, health insurance was one of our main concerns, so we ended up paying astronomical premiums to continue our health insurance and benefits through a previous employer. But once we were settled, and were working here for far less then what we would make in the US, Canada, or Europe, the idea of paying nearly $700.00 USD per month, for 2 healthy adults, seemed over the top.

So complacency then set in as we let our insurance lapse, and we found amazing health care providers here in Playa del Carmen, only having to pay about $25.00 USD for a doctor's visit and about $35.00 USD for a dental cleaning. However, it does not seem very realistic to think that if something major was to happen that we wouldn't be covered for Intensive Care, Medi-Vac to a US hospital, or long term care if something were to become a serious health challenge; so the research began. For those of you who are not familiar with me, and how I do things, I am a RESEARCH fanatic. When we got our kitchen remodeled in the US I interviewed 8 contractors, rather than the recommended 3, and the same went for companies who installed furnaces in the US. I enjoy the process, and I actually am not looking for the least or most expensive, but the best to fit our needs, and the same goes for health insurance.

There are a couple of options that I came across in my research; GNP, ING, and Metropolitana were the ones I either found on the internet, or that were recommended by friends. What I found was that they offered basic emergency care services, or services that were designed to provide health insurance in Mexico only. I tried contacting agents from GNP and ING, and they never returned my calls or e-mails so this sent up a red flag for me. Metropolitana was recommended to me by a friend, but they are located in Cancun so you must drive there for reimbursement, and provide about as much paperwork as is required to get an FM3 so this would not be a top choice for me either. But then I was contacted by a company out of the US that not only covers you in Mexico, but globally, including the US and Canada as well, and from the many options that they offer it seemed like the best bet for what we were looking for. They are Multi-National Underwriters and are backed by Lloyds of London, established in 1688 and are one of the oldest and most reliable insurance underwriters in the world. There are different options, and packages, that you can modify and design to fit your needs, and we are now one of their newest clients.

They offer Citizens Secure Benefits , which is a bit more comprehensive than its Economy package; Citizens Economy Benefits , as well as short-term travel insurance for people just visiting Mexico, not living here full time.  The main difference between the 2 packages is that the Citizen Secure gives you a higher pay out if you were to go to a hospital in the US or Canada. For example; if you needed to go into an intensive care unit here in Mexico versus in the United States there is a huge difference in cost. With Citizen Secure the amount allowed for intensive care is what is "usual, reasonable, and customary". Obviously the cost in an ICU located in the United States can vary, but it is reasonable to say that it can run into thousands of dollars per day. With the Citizen Secure Economy, they still cover intensive care, but there is a cap of $1,500.00 USD per day. This would certainly cover you in Mexico, but if you wanted to go back to the United States or Canada you would have to pay out far more from your own personal finances.

The Citizen Secure Economy will cover up to $5,000.00 per pregnancy for maternity coverage, where the Citizen Secure will cover 50% up to $100,000 USD after you pay your deductible. Many companies are now charging extra fees as riders for maternity benefits, while Multinational/Lloyds still includes the benefits into its policies. There is also a Sports Rider that will cover you in extreme sports as well as contact sports, and yes, diving, swimming with the Whale Sharks, and going on the ATV Explorer Tour are all considered extreme. Basically you can customize your own policy to fit you and your family's personal needs. For example if you are a US Veteran, you are covered medically in the United States, but not here in Mexico, so you could do a trimmed down package, with the Citizen Secure Economy that would cover you here, or get you to the US to receive care there. If you are considering getting pregnant, but may be considered high risk, then the Citizen Secure would be the package for you. Either way there is as little, or as much, coverage available to you, and it is up to you to decide which package would work best for you.

We are now offering easy access to benefits and information through Playa Maya News, and we have a licensed Broker who works out of the United States, John McGee, who will be happy to answer any detailed questions you may have, and we can be reached at: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

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