There are many doctors and various clinics in the Chapala Lakeside area. If you are thinking of buying their "care plan" (or whatever they call it) that locks you into using the Maskaras Clinic, my personal advice is "don't". They do not have "the corner" on the best medical services. Leave your options open, IMHO.

For basic services, find yourself one of the many general practitioners or Internists in the area. For a GP the rate for an unhurried office visit (which can easily take over an hour or "as long as it needs to be") might be as low as 200 pesos (about $16 US), and about double that or up to 500 pesos (about $40 US) for an Internist or other specialist. (Top level specialists in Guadalajara who, if they are middle aged or younger almost all speak excellent English, run about 600 pesos -- or less than $50 US -- for office visit/consultations. They may be an hour's drive away, but if you want the best, you can get that quality of service in Guad.

Therefore, as you can see, what we pay direct out-of-pocket to see a doctor is close to what you'd pay as a co-pay on many plans in the US.

Medications paid for out-of-pocket can be way cheaper than the US too. Example: I use an inhaler from time to time for bronchitis and was amazed that I purchased a generic version from a standard pharmacy for 45 pesos (around $3.75 US). When I came home, I got on my Vonage phone and called what had been my local CVS Pharmacy in the States. I asked them how much that generic inhaler would be if I walked in with a prescription -- but no insurance. Their answer: 45 DOLLARS. No kidding.

If at least one spouse in a couple is a few years younger than 60 years old, you may find it advantageous to get a private Mexican health insurance policy. (I believe a couple's average age has to be 62 or under to initiate a policy -- but that's my best recollection. Certainly it is cheaper if at least one of you is younger.) I was 55 when I came to Mexico. My husband was 60. We have an excellent plan with MetLife Mexico. When discussing various plans with another independent insurance agent, I walked away amazed at what a good deal I had with MetLife -- and how gouging some other plans appear to be. Our plan has gone up between 12% more or less each year (and will continue to go up around that much each year going forward) but it is still under $4000 US per annum for the two of us. Be aware that if you have Mexican private insurance, they require that you always get a formal receipt (called a "Factura") for each expense you wish to file with them for reimbursement.

If you are moving here and want to send me a private message, I can share details and contact information.

Alex

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Thank you, Alex. Your advice makes a lot of sense! We will be coming in mid January and will look in to do for referrals then.
I am 68 and my husband is 70 so I don't think we will qualify for private medical insurance that would be affordable.

We appreciate your time and advice.

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