La Paz Healthcare: What are My Options?

Answers to your questions about the cost, quality and availability of health care services in La Paz, BCS, Mexico

What would happen if I got sick while visiting or living in La Paz? Is medical care here expensive? Is it modern? Is it safe? What kind of health care services can I get here? The answers to these questions can really affect a person’s decision to move to Mexico.

Over the next several weeks, we’ll share some articles written by expats who have made the move to La Paz about their experiences with the healthcare system here. Health care in Mexico is definitely tiered: the less you pay, the less service you get. And as it is with every system, there are both positives and negatives to consider. This is the first in a series of articles we’ll bring you in our newsletters about health care options in La Paz.

In this series we’ll cover:
Option #1  Seguro Popular: public healthcare option
Option #2  IMSS: Employer funded and/or paid option
Option #3  Private Hospital Care
Option #4  Private Insurance

Option #1  SEGURO POPULAR

Back in 1992, Mexico created a program to provide health care for anyone who does not qualify for employer-supported medical insurance. There are pluses and minuses to the system but it remains a great way to provide you and your family access to wellness.

Known as Seguro Popular, or public insurance, it forms part of the social health protection system administered by the Secretary of Health and the National Health Commission.

Expats in Mexico on either a permanent or temporary visa are eligible for this same coverage at a very low cost.  It is a basic no-frills option, but no one is denied on the basis of pre-existing conditions.  Here in La Paz, the hospital associated with Seguro Popular is the Hospital General Juan María Salvatierra on Avenida de los Deportistas.

To read the rest of the article and learn more about all four health care options, read the article HERE.