There have been two recent reports of satisfaction with Hospiten Hospital, both here and in Playa, from people who have experienced a significant health related event while in this part of the world. Kathy Caribe reported her emergency care in Playa, for a respiratory event at- Hospitalized at Hospiten - Playa del Carmen & Riviera Maya Forum by In The Roo And, we have the report of the family of the shark bite victim, 38 year old Canadian, Nicole Ross, in which they praised the care that she got at Hospiten Hospital, Cancun, including a seven hour long surgery to repair the severe damage done her leg.
Today I was faced with a decision about how to respond to an episode of "flashing lights" in my eyes. Knowing this could be a product of a detached retina, and possibly serious, I decided to get it checked out. I considered Perfect Vision, then Galenia, finally Hospiten. (I also had the choice of going to IMSS, but I knew I could get to a specialist quicker by going private.) In the end, I decided to go to Hospiten, knowing it would be the cheapest of the options. As it turns out, it was very cheap, indeed, as they give a 30% discount for residents, and their fee for a specialist consultation is less to begin with, at 650 pesos. With the discount, I had to pay just 440 pesos and was seen promptly by their opthamologist on duty in the clinic, who gave me a thorough exam, and a thoroughly satisfying interpretation of the results.
Much of this thread has been devoted to information about IMSS, the largest Mexican National system of health care, available to foreigners by subscription: today, my wife went to get her IMSS ID card (which she'd postponed getting until now), and had a nice experience in the process. The ID cards are issued only at IMSS General Regional Hospital No. 17, which is behind Gran Plaza. When she got there, there was just one person in the line ahead of her. A very sternly worded message was posted which warned that originals of a long list of documents would be required to get the ID card, including one's birth certificate, and CURP, among other things, so we we're not too sure how it would go.... We offered her FM3 and passport in lieu of the birth certificate, hoping for the best. Her FM3 includes her CURP number, so we thought that might be enough to get the job done. The clerk accepted the passport and FM3 for the birth details, but said she couldn't accept less than an original of the CURP. That sounded like a showstopper, but then she asked if we couldn't wait a few minutes. She came back after some minutes with an original of my wife's CURP, which she had printed off a computer somewhere, and asked that we not comment to her coworkers that she had done that for us. Ten minutes later, we were on our way with the certificate of enrollment in the program, and the new ID card. Going to that extra bit of trouble for us, when she could have simply said, "You're going to have to come back," has gotten to be what I expect of government offices here in Mexico. I think they really want to help when they can, and do so as often as not when given the chance. ______________________
IMSS renewals We have belonged to the IMSS system since June 1, last year, so this month it was time to pay the annual assessment. I went to the administrative offices, at the corner of Yaxchilan and Coba, at about 1:30 PM today. (This is in keeping with my belief that, in general, it's best to go to big administrative agencies in the early afternoon, to avoid long lines.) There was no one in line ahead of me, a line that can contain 300 people if you arrive early (you may have seen how it stretches outside, and runs the length of the building), and I was immediately directed to window one. I announced the reason for my visit, and the woman took a file- which turned out to be ours- from a pile next to her desk. These appeared to be those files for coverage which was renewing this month, and they had been pre-retrieved in anticipation of the visit. The only documentation I had to present was the papers I'd been given the previous year which evidenced our enrollment and payment. There were two more steps in the process, including a trip to the bank and back, but people were more than helpful at every turn and took pains to be sure I didn't have to wait unduly long at each step, which was nice.
Inflation The annual premium to insure both my wife and I is now up to 5,780 pesos, a 4% increase over the previous year. While IMSS does not represent the best available option for medical care at any price, it is still the best available option by far for what it costs. ________________ Given the low cost, anyone who is here long-term and has no health coverage should seriously consider going to the trouble to enroll. The full range of services available through the entire system, nationwide, is provided without further charge beyond the annual premium. A colleague of mine from Ireland was diagnosed with bowel cancer seven years ago. As he tells it, he visited his unit of IMSS on a Friday, complaining of discomfort in his abdomen. Ultrasound and CT scan revealed a mass and he was scheduled for surgery the following Monday. His large bowel was re-sectioned, and a ten cm piece removed. The surgeon successfully rejoined the bowel internally, sparing him the necessity of wearing a colostomy bag the rest of his life. His received both radiation and chemotherapy, and has been followed since, for possible recurrence: there has been none, thus far, it seems. There were no charges of any kind assessed him for this entire range of treatment.
Before enrolling in IMSS, we had investigated the coverage to some degree and understood that, in the first year, there would be limits on what services would be provided- mainly we could expect to get primary care and emergency care, only. When we renewed, those restrictions were removed, and the paperwork stamped, "No restrictions applicable". [Although this is the official policy of IMSS, in practice there seemed to be no limitations in the first year, in fact. For example, they were prepared to do a workup for surgery, and the surgery itself, in the non life threatening, non emergency situation I mentioned earlier in this thread.]
Dr visits, and more Hospiten has put up their prices for a consult with a specialist to 870 pesos, but are still giving a 30% discount on all services to those who have FM2/3s, so they are still somewhat cheaper than Galenia, which offers no discounts to residents, and [their doctors, who are not employees of the hospital, and set their own rates] tend to charge 700 pesos for a doctor's visit. _______________________ It's been mentioned, before, that Hospiten is the only hospital in town with the capacity to do invasive studies of arteries, an important tool in diagnosing and treating heart attacks. Recently, a friend of mine was relating how her husband was having vague gastrointestinal complaints which went undiagnosed until he went to the doctors at Hospiten: using this same equipment, they discovered he'd suffered a partial blockage of an artery supplying blood to his intestines; a thing that, if not diagnosed and treated could lead to the death of a portion of his intestines and possibly permanent disability. This reinforced how important the availability of this equipment can truly be, and not just for those with a suspected heart attack. ______________________
Hmmm, I have had several office visits over the years at Galenia, with different types of specialists. For a consult only I have never paid more than $600, and have often paid only $500. I always flash my INAPAM card. Even for exams like an Endoscopia, for example, I have never felt that I was overcharged by local standards. Just lucky I guess, with a winning smile.
Galenia doesn't employ doctors, and doesn't charge for doctor's visits, so when I said Galenia "...tends to charge 700 for a specialist consult," it was a little misleading. The doctors there set their own rates, and they can offer discounts, if they choose to: the hospital itself does not offer resident discounts for services provided by the hospital, Hospiten does; and, because the doctors are employees of the hospital, also set the rates their doctors charge. Sorry about introducing a little confusion on this subject.
I have always carried a rather (for me) expensive policy of international health insurance which would allow me to be treated anywhere in the world: this is my way of dealing with the possibility of a "Black Swan" event, such as a heart attack or accident involving major injuries. This year, there was a new wrinkle to the equation in that I am turning 65, and will be eligible for Medicare. Part A is free, and automatic; but, Part B comes with a premium, and I would have to elect it. That's where the rub came in: living abroad as we do, and having major medical insurance, I could see no way around keeping the international coverage, making the Medicare coverage redundant, and if I took Part B, an extra expense. The fact that Medicare has no extraterritorial benefits makes it all but useless in this context (long term, living outside the U.S., and having international health insurance). Sadly, these issues are very complex for citizens of the U.S. I have a French friend who told me that for 80 euros a year, his full coverage national health goes with him, worldwide...lucky man.
