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MLE
Joined: 13 May 2006
Posts: 4
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 Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:41 pm Post subject: Health Insurance?? |
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Hi,
I was wondering if anyone has any advice on health insurance. I am arriving in Guadalajara the 26th and would like to have major medical before I arrive. Does anyone have any suggestions as to a good provider for this, or any ideas as to what I should look for since I have no familiarity with the Mexican health care system.
Thanks,
Emily |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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Wouter
Joined: 06 Oct 2004
Posts: 128
Location: Tlaquepaque
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 2:58 am Post subject: |
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You only get the Mexican health care system when you are working here. For this you also need an FM3. Not a lot of schools offer an FM3 and less offer healt insurance. Some say they do but they often take only a little bit of money from your salary but dont really put you in the health system. If they do you have to get a health insurance number. With this number you go to the designates hospital. One is asigned to you by the area where you live in. There you get a pasport size book.
I'm actualy curious how many teachers have this book. I think we are one of the view schools where all the teachers are in the health insurance. I know many big schools here in Guadalajara that dont.
Wouter |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Wouter wrote: |
| Not a lot of schools offer an FM3 and less offer healt insurance. ... I'm actualy curious how many teachers have this book. |
"Not a lot of schools"? The way you phrase it makes it sound like this is true for the majority of schools in Mexico. Is it? That could be true; I know a lot of people are out there teaching illegally and without an FM3...
Maybe other areas are different, but in my area I know for a fact that all the teachers have FM3 - there are only two other language schools here so it's easy to know! |
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MamaOaxaca
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
Posts: 201
Location: Mixteca, Oaxaca
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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If I think of all the teachers I know personally, working at my school or other places in the state of Oaxaca and beyound, I only know two people personally who are working illegally. I think it is less common than this board, where people come to complain about bad gigs, makes it out to be.
I had a thought about insurance. This would be a good topic for the Mexconnect.com message boards. Because they are more focused on the "other foriegners" who live in Mexico, rather than just the English teachers, there are a lot of retirees on there. I bet they know more about insurance than we do. My family just has IMSS, we see a private doctor about 50% of the time and just pay it out of pocket. But we're young(ish) and 75% Mexican! |
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Wouter
Joined: 06 Oct 2004
Posts: 128
Location: Tlaquepaque
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| Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 1:17 am Post subject: |
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Only an FM3 isnt legal. If you work here you have to pay taxes. Some schools offer this but take it our of your salary. Cost for taxes depends on your salary. Most of the time it is around 500 pesos a month. This is a lot of money on a salary.
I know many teachers here in Guadalajara and a small percentage have their FM3 and I dont know any teacher that has their health insurance book accept for our teachers at our school. Also of all the teachers I know most of them dont get their vacation money and their aguinaldo and pri vacaciones at the end of the year.
Teachers should be aware that Aguinaldo is something that they have to give you by law. This is 15 days salary. Vacation money is 6 days but only paid when you complete a year or pro rate if you leave the school. Pri vacaciones is 25% over these 6 days of vacaciones.
Just to let you know.
Often gets up to about 5000 pesos depending how much money you make of course. |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 1:53 am Post subject: |
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| Wouter wrote: |
| I dont know any teacher that has their health insurance book accept for our teachers at our school. |
Okay, just to clarify, I know for a fact that all the teachers in this area (not that there are many) have their FM3 and their "Cartilla de Salud"...
It would be interesting to note how many teachers are other areas do not have said legal documents. |
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MamaOaxaca
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
Posts: 201
Location: Mixteca, Oaxaca
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| Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Also, everybody I know (except for two who are in the country completely illegally) have FM3s or FM2s and Cartillas de Salud, pay all taxes have all the prestaciones de la ley AND recieved 2 quincenas pay for their alguinaldo. |
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cwc
Joined: 16 Nov 2005
Posts: 372
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| Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 4:49 pm Post subject: bonus |
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| The year-end bonus is "at least" 15 days. More is better! |
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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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| Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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| ls650 wrote: |
| Wouter wrote: |
| I dont know any teacher that has their health insurance book accept for our teachers at our school. |
Okay, just to clarify, I know for a fact that all the teachers in this area (not that there are many) have their FM3 and their "Cartilla de Salud"...
It would be interesting to note how many teachers are other areas do not have said legal documents. |
As has been discussed here before, it seems to depend a lot on location. In the part of the country where I live, it's not wise for either school owners or foreign teachers to try to play games with the local immigration office or with hacienda. Of course, there are ways to get around lots of laws and regulations. However, especially for newbies who don't have the connections and lack an understanding of how the "Mexican way" functions in such situations, I think it's pretty foolish to try to tempt fate by working illegally and not paying taxes. Also, for those who choose that route, they have no recourse if their employer doesn't provide medical insurance or pay them an aguinaldo, or even pay them the wages they're entitled to, for that matter. |
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hlamb
Joined: 09 Dec 2003
Posts: 431
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:33 pm Post subject: |
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I used this company when I was looking for work when I first arrived in Mexico. Their rates are comparable to other groups or lower and they are underwritten by a company I recognized from a different context.
HOWEVER, I never had to file a claim with them, so I have no idea what they are like in terms of paying out. |
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cangringo
Joined: 18 Jan 2007
Posts: 327
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:58 am Post subject: |
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I can't find much info on this but would really like to find some sort of insurance besides the plans here which really don't get you much.
I want to know if anyone has experience with IMG, their rates seem very reasonable and it's possible to pay by direct payment - we don't have credit cards...so if anyone has used them or has info good or bad can you please let me know. You can pm me if you don't want to post.
Thanks  |
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