Signing Up With Seguro Popular With IMSS

You cannot have IMSS and SP at the same time, so you must wait until your IMSS expires before you can sign up. Additionally, if you've been a member of IMSS in the past year do yourself a favor and go to IMSS first and get a letter/nota saying you are no longer a member BEFORE going to SP to register. When SP puts your CURP in their system it can show you have IMSS for up to a year after you've expired! Also, make a copy of the nota from IMSS and carry it with you along with your SP registration in case you need medical care and there is a question.

Well, in my opinion SP is better, at least for me. IMSS cost me around 6000 pesos last year and I have never used it in 12 years except for a flu shot and a checkup.

I've been snooping around the new hospital, asking lots of hard questions of the staff, been invited behind closed doors to ask more questions, talked to people I know who have been treated there, and done surgery pre-ops on patients who were having their surgery at the new hospital and thrilled with their experience.

The equipment that I've seen looks great, the staff look relaxed and not stressed or hurried, the pts look happy, and after reading the handbook I see they cover most things I might need at some point. What they don't cover, I am happy to pay for out of pocket.

Emergency wise, there is a downside. SP is a community hospital (level 2 or so) which means they are not a receiving facility for ambulances. Sooooo, if you have an emergent situation you have to get someone to drive you there. The SP ER will stabalize you and release you, admit you, or transport you by their transport ambulance up to Civil in Guad.

The only messy part that I can see is if you are in a vehicle accident and need ambulance transport, Cruz Roja will respond and they will have to take you to their clinic. What happens next would depend entirely on your injuries, policies, and protocols.

I've never used either,but two weeks ago my mother in law became ill and had to get up at 3:30 AM to get in line at 4:30AM because they only give out a certain number of appointments, and had to stand in line  for four hours at the Seguro Popular in Salamanca Guanajuato...

Yep.

But, remember we are a little rural community, you are big city.

Ferret: There IS a helicopter pad, it's not on the roof but behind the main building on an elevated piece of land. I can't imagine who is using it or who has the authority to land there etc. I need to do a little more snooping around and I'll see if I can find out anything about that. Also want to get 'backstage' in the ER to evaluate.

My telenovela continues. . .

Returned to the SP hospital yesterday with what should have been sufficient proof that I no longer am a member of IMSS. Nope. Not good enough. I was told to try signing up in Chapala.

So, today I went to Centro Salud in Chapala to do just that armed with all my copies, originals, and proof of non-membership from IMSS. I was told I was at the right place and right window but the chica wasn't here today, come back tomorrow.

lolol Vamos A ver. No doubt, to be continued.

UPDATE:
So, I did go back with all my papers and the girl couldn't have been nicer. She was a bit apprehensive until I spoke some Spanish and gave her the IMSS discontinuation nota - the same one I gave the wench at the hospital registration window. Then she smiled and said no problem. She signed me all up and sent me to the nurse for a mini physical - BP, glucose, height and weight, questions about medical history. . .that was about it. She was really nice too.

There was a Mexican family waiting for their appt who watched me sign up and came right up to help with English as they had lived in CA. When they saw I didn't need the help they hung around and we talked stories. Then they insisted I come and meet their 95 y/o mother. So sweet. It was a good experience and I have my letter of authorization and am set to jet.

Last week, a friend who needs to have her gallbladder out went to the hospital for an appt and the doc concurred. He sent her for labs and pre-op. She was given a choice: she could have it taken out the old fashioned way with longer recovery for free or she could pay 4500 pesos for the rental of the laparoscopic equipment - she chose the latter. She goes in at 6pm , they operate at 8pm, she spends the night, and if all goes well she gets discharged in the morning. ezpz

I just think we're really lucky to have this here.

Thank you for the update, Trailrunner. It is good to know.

My wife and I have been signed up with SP for over a year. I have been very happy using them for my medical needs. Some times they don't have the medicines that they perscribe. My was wife was sent to the specialists at Hospital Civil in GDL for her memory problems. Her care there has been an improvement in the care that she has received here at lakeside or in the US.

I am coming to Ajijic permanently in June. How should I proceed to get insurance at 80? I have hypothyroid and restless legs and maybe a touch of Asthma. Otherwise I am in perfect health. See any problem?

No problem with Seguro Popular, they don't care about age or preexisting. You can enroll, no problem, it's free, and the hospital is new and handy. It's Mexican socialized medicine.

The private insurance, if you can get it, will be expensive and IMSS won't accept preexisting.

Welcome to the area!