IMSS (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social) — National social insurance system in Mexico. If you are a resident and full-time employee of a Mexican company, your employer has likely already provided you with IMSS insurance. If you are not working, you have the choice of taking out IMSS yourself or private insurance.
Of course, private insurance is better, but it is also much more expensive. Not everyone can afford to pay dearly in advance for the solution of medical problems that may not exist. IMSS insurance is considered a viable option. In particular, if you have a sore throat or otitis media, you don’t have to go to an expensive consultant. The very concept of «state insurance medicine» scares many foreigners, and as a result, some take out private insurance, while others live in Mexico without insurance, paying for medical services after the fact.
Getting IMSS insurance requires some legwork, but it's worth it. This is confirmed by thousands of expats who have lived in Mexico for a long time. Basically, these are Americans and Canadians who do not hesitate to take advantage of the opportunities that the new state opens up for them.
Below is the annual IMSS insurance rate for 2024 depending on age:
- 0-19 years — 8550 MXN
- 20-29 years old — 10650 MXN
- 30-39 years — 11400 MXN
- 40-49 years — 13250 MXN
- 50-59 years — 13700 MXN
- 60-69 years — 19050 MXN
- 70-79 years — 19850 MXN
- 80 years and older — 20500 MXN
What medical services are covered by IMSS insurance, we described in thismaterial.
The process of obtaining insurance may seem complicated and overly bureaucratic, but further use of insurance does not cause problems.
You need to start taking out IMSS insurance first online and then by visiting your nearest IMSS medical facility in person. All registration processes — in Spanish, but you may be able to use a translator.
First open trámite (procedure) on thiswebsite. Once you have registered on the site by entering your email and CURP, select incorporación voluntaria (voluntary registration).
It is possible to do the same by personally visiting the nearest IMSS medical facility, bypassing the registration stage on the website. We strongly recommend this option, since they will check your papers on the spot and immediately tell you what’s wrong. You can select the branch closest to you using thislink. In addition, IMSS has an application for smartphones, which provides all the required functions, such as finding the nearest office, registering in their system, and making an appointment with a doctor.
You will need the following documents (original and copy):
- Passport,
- Temporary or permanent resident card,
- Proof of residence — government utility bill not older than three months,
- Two paper photographs of an ordinary «passport» size (can be done in any photo studio). Take one more photo (3),
- Birth certificate with apostille (may not be needed!!!, depends on the office),
- Marriage or birth certificate with an apostille (to confirm family ties, if a relative takes out insurance, say, you are insuring a child),
- Completed application and health questionnaire provided by IMSS or downloaded from the website.
In addition, you should provide a receipt for payment of the insurance premium + a copy. The invoice can be downloaded from your IMSS account or obtained from their office. You can pay on their website by credit card or at any nearby bank. We suggest paying for the year in one payment because if you fall behind on any monthly payments, your insurance may be cancelled.
You will also need to obtain a Mexican social security number (seguridad social) — NSS. It is provided by IMSS and you can apply at the central office in your city. Your IMSS office will provide you with instructions on how to purchase the number and card, which will take a few days. As a result, you will also need to provide your social security card to your branch. NSS is also allowed to be acquired independently inInternet, and it will be much faster (requires CURP and home address).
In general, the first time you visit an IMSS office is to register, prepare an invoice, and receive instructions for obtaining a Social Security number. The second time you bring all the missing documentation.
After all the documentation has been accepted, you are given a referral to a doctor for examination (physical examination). The doctor will keep a card in which all future entries will be made about your visits, health status and appointments. The card will require another photo. You can visit a doctor on a first-come, first-served basis or by making an appointment through the app (not for all clinics). The second option is preferable, since in this case the waiting time will be minimal.
The doctor will give directions for tests and examinations, since he will need to know the actual state of your health and identify your diseases, including chronic ones. Tests are free.
The insurance begins to be valid on the first calendar day of the next month after confirmation of its registration.
In the future, you will visit your doctor, undergo regular examinations and fill out prescriptions for any medications that you may need. If you need the services of a specialist, you can only get a referral through your doctor. There is no need to pay to visit professionals; insurance will cover the cost of their services. Medicines prescribed by your doctor or specialist can be obtained free of charge from a pharmacy affiliated with your local IMSS office. However, not all medicines are available without payment. Your doctor may prescribe medicine for you to collect from a private pharmacy. The recipe itself will be free, but you will have to pay separately for the purchase. You must understand that the doctor does not prescribe medicine without payment based on your wishes, but only if he sees medical indications for this. But any pharmacy has a free consultation (or for 50-60 pesos), where in addition they will write you a prescription for most prescription drugs, but without checking the medical prescription.
Insurance from IMSS is great for preventive health care, vaccinations, and prescriptions. They also have limited dental support. Most helpfully, every time you visit with symptoms, you are immediately referred for a full blood count, chest x-ray, ultrasound, and even a mammogram, depending on what is needed.
IMSS insurance does not cover treatment from private consultants. If you need a complex operation and IMSS does not have the right doctor, be prepared to shell out a lot of money. There are also some pre-existing (or chronic) conditions — in particular, ophthalmology, malignant tumors, chronic degenerative or congenital diseases, — which are not covered by IMSS, but some of them are treated free of charge and without insurance in Mexico.
IMSS insurance does not cover the convenience of treatment in a public hospital in Mexico, but only medical services. This means that your family or friends should provide support and amenities (transportation, meals, duty, change of clothes, etc.) during your hospitalization. This, of course, makes treatment in a public hospital very different from treatment in a private clinic, where all amenities will be included in the final bill and may be covered by private insurance.
As of 2020, family members of an IMSS-insured employee are no longer eligible to receive health care coverage under their insurance. For each of them, you should prepare separate insurance. We covered this issue in thispublications.
There are IMSS branches throughout Mexico, in every city — several hospitals. As a result, you have the right to choose whether to go to the IMSS department through your insurance or to a private clinic at your own expense.