Part 3
If you have health care insurance back home and you’d rather have your work done there, you can purchase a Medical Evacuation plan. Perhaps you prefer your established doctor or just feel better about having a surgery closer to family.
A Medical Evacuation plan is NOT a health care policy – it’s a transport service. In order to transfer you via air, you must be stable.
What does that mean?
You arrive at the hospital with apparent appendicitis. They cannot transport you as you only have hours to have surgery. You’ll have to have your surgery done in Mexico.
You arrive at the hospital with a broken leg in several places. They are able to bring your vitals back to normal, there seems to be no issue with a transport – they will fly you to your desired hospital back home.
You arrive at the hospital and appear to have chest palpitations. They cannot regulate your blood pressure and fear you could suffer a heart attack. They cannot stabilize you, you are unable to be transported.
Speaking of health care back home, a little known fact: Medicare is only for use in the US. If you have Medicare Supplemental Insurance, you can only use this on the first 60 days of your trip. So if you plan to be here for 6 months, your supplemental insurance isn’t usable for the last 4 months of your trip! Paired with a Medical Evacuation plan, you must also prove to have an emergency health threat, your limit is capped at $50,000 and 80% is covered.
So you’re at the hospital and the cost to stabilize you to prepare you for transport is $1500 USD. Who pays for that? You do, unless you have a health care plan here in Mexico. The Medial Evacuation plan does NOT pay for costs to stabilize you.
If you’ve read this far, you might have further questions and I have an excellent resource. Brett LaMar is a licensed broker with Expats Insurance Solutions, based out of San Miguel. He and his wife are property owners in Amapas and have live in PV for over 4 years.
Want to know how this applies to your circumstances? Click below to receive a free quote from Brett.
