Lake Chapala

The Mascaras Clinic is run by Dr. Garcia. It is bilingual, fully equipped with laboratory, x-rays, pharmacy and much more and has access to nearly every specialist you could want. It is available 24/7. They have developed an extremely economical plan they offer to expats, where for one very low annual fee you can have as many doctor visits as you need and get a variety of other benefits and discounts.

This is a great deal that anyone looking to move to the Lake Chapala region should consider either as standard care, or as an auxiliary solution to IMSS.

Here’s what it covers
$2300 pesos annually
Unlimited Clinica Mascaras office visits during normal office hours, with Dr. Carlos Garcia
No age restriction
No “previous condition” restriction
Emergency pre-hospitalization medical physician consultations at Clinica Mascaras, with Carlos Garcia or participating MedCare
Maskaras Emergency Care Physicians
Annual EKG
20% Discount on all lab tests at Clinica Mascaras
10% Discount on X-Rays and Mammograms at Clinica Mascaras
One free dental exam and 10% discount on dental services at Clinica Mascaras
Two house calls per year
10% discount at the CARE X-Ray Clinic in Guadalajara (MRI, CAT, Ultrasound,etc)
50% Discount with the eye doctor for the first eye exam visit

Mascaras Clinic: Provides ambulance service. Accepts U.S. insurance policies.
It is located in Riberas del Pilar between Ajijic and Chapala.

Source: Focus On Mexico

Many expatriates living in Mexico were attracted by the amazing climate and friendly culture. But what about healthcare ?

You might be surprised to know that Mexico has an excellent health care system that is a model for developing countries worldwide. Mexico has been classified by International Living as the number one retirement destination in the world for two consecutive years. Interestingly, one of the reasons for the grade was so heavily tilted in favor of Mexico is the high quality of care and the opt in national insurance plan called IMSS.

U.S. citizens living in Mexico are covered by Medicare only if they travel back to the U.S. However, the IMSS is open to expatriates living in Mexico. The best part is the only plan costs $ 100 – $ 300 per person per year.
Although not strict, there are some restrictions. For example, IMSS must be in place for two years to cover some pre-existing conditions, but emergencies are covered immediately. After the second year, IMSS coverage is quite broad and includes consultations, tests, hospitalization, surgery and medication. Interestingly, prescription drugs manufactured in Mexico are about 50% less than would be expected to pay north of the border, often available for less than generic equivalents.

What does Mexico offer in the form of health care? As the health care system in Mexico is nationalized, there are financial incentives to make people well and keep it that way. The critical focus of the U.S. health system that providers of health care, insurance and pharmaceutical companies do not have that same incentive … it is more profitable to keep treating the sick.

Another common complaint is that the U.S. insurance companies seem to find ways to deny coverage of expenses. So it’s no surprise that baby boomers prefer quality, affordable health care when choosing a place to retire. Mexico’s willingness to provide low cost IMSS to foreigners is the reason that Mexico is one of the best retirement destinations in the world.