IMSS Problems

Can you give us any information on Seguro Popular?

This was posted on Chapala.com. I don't have any experience with Seguro Popular:

You get your Seguro opular registration at Centro Medico in Chapala. It is free to anyone living in Mexico. They use Hospital Civil which has 15 bed wards.
My gardener's wife had a hot appendix. They went to Seguro Popular in Chapala. They diagnosed her and gave her the paperwork for the hospital and they had to get a taxi to take them in.
They were there several hours and no doctor was there to do surgery. My gardener took his wife to a private hospital and had to borrow money to pay for her surgery.
If you have IMMS you cannot have Seguro Popular.

Can you give us any information on Seguro Popular?

So my question is why won't they do the same as IMSS in a few years?

Seguro Popular is an insurance plan that works in conjunction with General (also called Civic) hospitals.

In my town the General Hospital is excellent, better than the IMSS. General hospitals have a more limited scope of services than IMSS, but tend to do them better. They are not charity hospitals. For those without Seguro Popular insurance, there is a fee for service, but the fees are based on ability to pay.

Don't forget military hospitals. Military hospitals are far less common than General hospitals. They are open to the public on a space available basis. They are considered to be superior to most IMSS and General hospitals. They cost more than General hospitals but considerable less than private hospitals.

Non-citizens may use both General and Military hospitals. No prior qualifications or other paperwork is required.

Thanks for explaining that Rolly. I've heard a lot about Seguros Popular but didn't know how it works. We have seen a lot of small clinics pop up around here - one new one in San Antonio Tlayacapan and one in San Juan Cosala all part of the Seguros Popular system. A friend met a man working outside the new clinic in San Antonio (there for about a year) and asked him what it was for and the guy said to my friend, "it's free medical clinic, if you ever need to use it just stop by". Ofcourse my friend doesn't speak Spanish and I don't know that he could navigate a visit there.

In San Juan Cosala where I live - the town is very poor (not including the Raquet club) and I hear the clinic there is swamped all the time.

Where is the clinic located in San Antonio?
Muchas gracias.

You make a turn toward the lake from the carraterra at the corner where the hardware store and Illumina y Decora and Sunshine restaurant is located. Go one and 1/2 blocks it is on your left - a white building with blue trim.

I just read this on Chapala.com someone who registered for Seguro Popular:

I got my Seguro Popular in Chapala last week with very little hassle and a slightly bemused but friendly attitude from the staff. The office is located inside the Centro de Salud in Chapala, on the south side of Flavio Romero de V., a little ways in from the eastern terminus of that street. I had to show:
- Passport
- Utility bill
- FM-3
- Apostilled birth certificate
- CURP

It helped that I spoke Spanish, not sure there are any English speakers on the staff. We came in around 11 am, first window on the right is administration, they asked to see my documents and have copies of them; and then gave me a slip of paper that said "2:30 #14", and told me to return at that time and go to the first door down the hall to the left.

We came back at 2 pm and were taken right away. Had to answer a number of questions (mother's maiden name, profession etc) as they typed the answers into the computer. Took about 15 mintes and I had my document. No charge. They said, need to come to Chapala center first, before being referred out to any other place.
It looked like there were doctors available at the Chapala clinic, and drugs, but I don't know of what type. The nearest hospital is in Guad. If you ask, they will give you a pamphlet with a list of all the Seguro Popular facilities in Jalisco.
We'll see what it's like when/if I need to use it. This is just an emergency backup for me. I plan to mostly self pay for medical care but can't get insurance due to a pre-exisitng condition. And decided not to even try for IMSS after reading the postings about the issues with the Chapala IMSS office. We will be living east of Chapala when our house is finished next month, so this location works for me (along with the Cruz Roja in Chapala, which we of course contribute to).

I like this post.


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