A NEW REASON TO TRAVEL TO MEXICO:  MEDICAL TOURISM!
The excellent international health care available in Mexico is one of the biggest attractions for people visiting and relocating to this country.  

Every year people from North of the Border, and around the world, travel to Mexico to take advantage of its superb health facilities and the care found in them. In fact, Medical Tourism is a booming business within Mexico! 

NOTE:  MEDICARE DOES NOT COVER YOU OUTSIDE THE BORDERS OF THE UNITED STATES.  NOR DOES PRIVATE U.S. HEALTH INSURANCE.

IMSS INSURANCE:
Once you have decided to move to Mexico, you will become familiar with the IMSS (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social), Mexico's health insurance program. For immigrants to Mexico, the IMSS is a beautiful thing!

Mexico allows immigrants to buy the IMSS coverage. The price is age-based, and generally, if you are over 60 years of age, you can think about paying $300 U.S. PER YEAR for the IMSS insurance. The younger you are, the less you pay. 

IMSS gives you complete doctor coverage including prescription meds except for certain preexisting conditions that have varying time periods before they are covered. Most immigrants to Mexico use the IMSS as their back-up coverage and go to a local doctor for everyday concerns, where they pay for the doctor’s services directly. 

Prices for doctor visits (about $20 U.S.) are so reasonable that it won’t bend the budget to any extreme. 

If you hold an FM-3 or FM-2 residency visa for Mexico, you are qualified to sign up for the IMSS.  Government offices are throughout Mexico, especially around the hospitals that serve each community, and it is suggested that you find one near your new home.

Once you pay your IMSS yearly premium, you are covered for everything.  There are NO co-pays for doctors, or for prescriptions. 
The IMSS hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies are throughout Mexico, and as a result of covering the entire population of the country, they can become quite crowded. 

The IMSS is ideal for Canadian and British citizens as they are continuously covered in their home country, and can use the IMSS while in Mexico.  For Americans living in Mexico full time – this is your best health care coverage option.  If you are traveling between countries and only living in Mexico part-time, you will need to continue your Medicare coverage in the U.S. in order to have medical protection while in the United States.

A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:
You MUST maintain your Medicare Part A (your hospital coverage) in order to receive your Social Security retirement benefits.  Read the next part carefully because it contains some tricky information:
 
Medicare Part B:  Again, no Medicare benefits will work outside the U.S.  You need to sign up for Part B (covering doctor visits and other medical services) at age 65 and you will be required to pay the premiums for Part B, even though you aren’t living in the U.S. and availing yourself of the system.  OR – you can pay a late penalty and a higher premium if you DO NOT sign up for Part B at age 65, but do want it for U.S. coverage at a later date. The monthly premium for Medicare Part B, only useful in the U.S., begins at approximately $100 per month per person. If you opt out of Medicare Part B but wish to pick it up at a later date, the penalty is roughly 10% per 12-month period that you were NOT in the system.  Do the numbers and calculate which is most beneficial to your budget.

Supplemental insurance is also available, and speaking with a licensed insurance agent located in the U.S. is advisable.  Purchasing Supplemental Insurance Coverage for a short trip outside the U.S. may have its benefits and can be treated as travel health insurance. 
Drugs that are not narcotics DO NOT require a prescription in Mexico.  AND – if you are over 60 years old and hold a Mexican Discount Card for the Elderly, you can get a discount on the already inexpensive drugs at many of the large retail pharmacies. 

Which brings us to Medicare Part D: Prescription Drugs.  You DO NOT need to join this if you are planning to relocate to Mexico.  No penalty is incurred as long as you apply for Part D within 63 days after returning to the United States. 

PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE:
A private, international health insurance policy affords excellent expat insurance coverage, and may be necessary when you are in Mexico if you have a pre-existing condition that is not covered under the IMSS.  Since health care in general is so reasonable, private health insurance should be considered as emergency coverage, where hospitalization may be required, or where follow-up treatments may be necessary. Everyday doctor visits should be paid out-of-pocket.

There are many clinics in Mexico that cater to the expat community, and many supplemental private health insurance companies offering policies. A key to private health insurance is the quality of the provider.  Speak with residents of your new community and hear their suggestions.  As with many of the decisions you will be facing, hearing first hand from people who have experienced a particular business is your best referral.

Americans are prominent as students in Mexican medical schools, and locating to a town favored by those students might be a primary consideration if you are faced with health issues.