Anyone Considering Mexico as a Retirement Spot Now Public Healthcare is Available?

Heading down later this month for seven or eight weeks if independent travel. No concerns whatsoever.
 
No, I wouldn't move to Mexico just for healthcare. I wouldn't move to another country just for healthcare, although it is certainly a factor. Moving to another country is a huge decision with a lot of moving parts, so there would have to be a lot more reasons for moving than just healthcare, important as it is.
 
I traveled extensively throughout Mexico during my w*rking days. During 2010-11, I seemed to wake up every morning and hear about a violent cartel event very close to me (Monterrey area). It was unnerving. The extent of the torture was unbelievably gruesome (ie, stitching someone's face to a soccer ball and tossing out onto a neighborhood field during a game). However, it was all cartel on cartel war (but often against police, media, etc) for control of the Monterrey turf. I relished the culture, hospitality, and work ethic of the people of Latin America.

When we were planning for retirement, the Lake Chappalla area was our "plan B" of several expat locations. Medical care there and in Guadalajara were part of that equation. But as we enter exit turn 2 (Nascar lingo) of our third year of retirement, plan A is working out fine.
 
Red Badger said:
I traveled extensively throughout Mexico during my w*rking days. During 2010-11, I seemed to wake up every morning and hear about a violent cartel event very close to me (Monterrey area). It was unnerving. The extent of the torture was unbelievably gruesome (ie, stitching someone's face to a soccer ball and tossing out onto a neighborhood field during a game). However, it was all cartel on cartel war (but often against police, media, etc) for control of the Monterrey turf. I relished the culture, hospitality, and work ethic of the people of Latin America.

When we were planning for retirement, the Lake Chappalla area was our "plan B" of several expat locations. Medical care there and in Guadalajara were part of that equation. But as we enter exit turn 2 (Nascar lingo) of our third year of retirement, plan A is working out fine.
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Bolded by me.
Lake Chapala was also our Plan B, but also in our 3rd year of retirement and can't imagine leaving the US right now. We would probably go to a lower COL now if necessary, or smaller place in a MCOL.
 
pj.mask said:
Interesting data about rape.

I wonder if the deaths are mostly related to cartels and so long as one steers clear of that lifestyle/area how do things compare.
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Really hard to steer clear of the cartels in some states like those directly across the border from us. They control too much.
 
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The OP link is to a website by a former Florida police office and his wife. They are retired and residents in Mexico. Their site offers good, general high level information in topics, but as this link shows the posts at time generates more questions than answers.

I´ve been researching a move to Mexico for over three years. Plan is to go down this year, see how my budget holds up, see how my Spanish comes along, see how comfortable i am with safety, and then hopefully FIRE next year. The only things I follow on Facebook are groups for ex-pats moving to Mexico or already in Mexico. Some groups are location specific. I also follow Mexican news agencies and the US Embassy in Mexico City and several US consulates in various Mexican cities, too. Some of these feeds are repeated on my Twitter so that I can be up-to-date. I feel like I have a long list of up to date resources to advise on my move and stay current with the situations in Mexico. All this to say is that I don’t listen only to US media, but I also don’t hold myself out as an expert on Mexico by any means.

As far as moving to simply receive the free healthcare...heck no I would never do that! Free is as good as what you pay. We are talking about limited staff to assist so you NEED a family member there to get you the water, find a nurse, etc. Often times the family member sleeps on the floor as there is not a extra chair in the area near your bed. Note that I didn’t say your room but your area...often times, patients are in a large room with lots of other patients.

Free healthcare alone is NOT the reason to go unless you are so broke that you need some means to survive. Some expats from the US participate in the free healthcare because they can’t make ends meet in the US (rent, food, etc.) on their Social Security. So their current lives are better - unless they need to go to the hospital and deal with the free healthcare.

For expats who can afford it, most have private insurance that can be cheaper than premiums in the US and more inclusive than in the US. The private insurance allows access to the private hospitals which rival hospitals in the US. The doctors usually speak English and a large number practiced in the US.

So by moving, I’ll have lower cost of living (rent, foods, transportation, meds) and even my insurance will be cheaper than the COBRA cost or even my current premium working for megaCorp. If My resources evaporate and I’m broke and my choices are free Mexican healthcare or Medicaid, I’ll be on the first bus back to the US.
 
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I am sorry if I implied moving to Mexico full or part time should be based on the healthcare being readily available. That was not the intention. It was intended as simply another decision factor to be considered.
 
W2R said:
No thanks. We each have our own preferences, and that is fine; but as for me, well, it would take a whole lot more than free health care to get me to move anywhere outside the US.

I am an American, and this is my home.
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+1

We may leave the state, but I have no intention of moving out of the US. As far as Mexico goes, that's not even on my wish list to visit. I would like to see some places in the US and Europe and that's about it. YMMV.
 
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I would recommend avoiding Mexico for the moment uness you are already experienced with it. It is getting too crowded with expats. Prices are rising too.

Medical care has always been available for residents. This new approach is just another way to get it. You still need to prove you are not sick.
 
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