We're MX Newbies... Appreciate your experience with Best Private Health Insurance, IMSS and Other?

Unless there's a very good reason for it, such folks would be better off paying out of pocket.

Well the old guy just died from Dengue/Covid after being here only 6 months and the bill was 90K USD for 3 weeks in ICU.

There was no way to come out winning in that situation. Very sad.

Our situation is different than any previous ones mentioned here.  We moved to Lakeside in July 2005, at ages 65 and 67, from Canada where all our medical needs were 'free'.  Shortly after moving here, we applied for private insurance coverage but were turned down due to both of us having pre-existing conditions, coronary artery disease (me) and a pacemaker (husband).  We've been self-insuring and so far it's worked out for us.  Not due to any 'planning' on our part, all operations and medical procedures have been spaced out over the years.  

Had we been insurable and paid the premiums over the past 15 plus years, I've roughly calculated that it would have cost us more in premiums than what we have paid for all medical procedures to date!  We've had everything from successful brain surgery, pacemaker replacement, two stents, cataract operations (husband) and I've had five stents in all, carotid angiogram, cataract procedures, three urogynecological operations!  Based on what Canuck Bob stated above, I realize that all of this could change if either of us contracted COVID-19.  Some serious thinking is in order ...

I sent you a couple of PMs Irish Gal.

Most of the private hospitals in Guadalajara are charging $500 US per night (or more) just for the room then comes all the add ons. Medicine, supplies, surgery, etc., etc. If you are in ICU the price per night is around $1500 US. It adds up quickly. I've always had my GP look over the tally everyday to ensure they aren't ripping me off. He has found a few things out of whack. And of course for Canadians it is 35% more given the weak CAD.

Ya mean like charging for oxygen when it wasn't being used? The hospital seemed to think that because the set up was in the room permanently that if someone was occupying that room that they must be using it.
A$$holes.

Yep, stuff like that........I usually go to Country 2000 where my GP has privileges. He can usually get me a 10% discount too. He always informs them I am a cash customer not insured. If insured they charge upwards of double to the insurance companies.

Here is Country 2000 website which lists the prices for rooms and most surgeries. They are actually quite reasonable.
https://www.hospitalcountry2000.com/es

Last week I thought I had dengue again so Sharon called her GP and they sent out Best labs to take a test. Dengue was negative but my platlets were down to 12,000. Rushed into SAT for 4 days of steroidal treatment.

They are back up to 109,000 at the moment. The hematologist and Internal specialists threw my old meds in the garbage. They said no one should ever be taking those for more than 3 months. They said they will be using new meds. They are starting with tests on the major organs. I had a ekg and electrocardiogram yesterday and now I'm off to GDL for a contrast cscan tomorrow because some mass is showing up in the Xray between my stomach and pancrease. Them I have an appointment

with  numologist on Monday and another appointment with the hematologist to put everything together. I am using Quality Care. The cost so far $70000 mxn including all the scans and tests and 4 nights in SAT.

Best wishes.

I had CT scan with contrast at SAT hospital lab--any reason you are opting for Guadalajara for one?

The woman I mentioned above with the brain tumor was $550,000 mxn all in. Plus there will be a ton of follow up charges.

BisbeeGal wrote:I had CT scan with contrast at SAT hospital lab--any reason you are opting for Guadalajara for one?

Yes Quality Care doesn't like any local results including from SAT.

Well I'll be sure to update you on my findings. I was also diagnosed with rheumatoid arthristis about a year ago and they now think this is not the case. It is all tied together. Hence they told me to discontinue the Ardosons steroid/cortisone pills which apparently should have never been prescribed for over 3 months at a time. I've been taking them a year.

Sending best wishes and positive vibes CBob!

Jreboll wrote:Your case may be different than mine but I developed thrombocytopenia about 15 years ago. My count was down to just about zero. I got infusions and steroids and that didn’t help. So they gave me a medication that destroyed my t-cells because they were attacking my platelets.   My platelets then started building up slowly. Right now they run about 90-100 thousand.  This medication I learned cost about 12,000 dollars.  A few years later I ran into a hematologist in Jiquilpan and said they didn’t have that med so they relied on something else that was not so effective.
Eventually the heavy steroids from that experience caused me to have avascular necrosis of my femur heads and ended up having a right hip replacement.

Im back up to 109,000 just from the steroid treatment in the hospital. They said that was a positive sign and it should be treatable. They gave me pills for 3 more rounds here at home so I'm hoping they are way back up when I test again on Monday.

Bob, Did they test you for Covid or Covid antibodies?

Bob....sent you a PM re arthritis.

BisbeeGal wrote:Bob, Did they test you for Covid or Covid antibodies?  

And/or did they do any coagulation studies besides the platelet count... like a Prothrombin Time (PT) or a Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT)?
These would have been done on a blue top tube if you happen to have noticed.
This is the reason we want to know...
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200624/Platelets-may-be-contributing-to-COVID-19.aspx

I am not assuming that it is a result of Covid-19. But, in this day and age, it really should be ruled out.
https://www.hematology.org/covid-19/covid-19-and-itp

Viral infections can trigger acute ITP or result in exacerbations in those with stable ITP. SARS-CoV-2 testing should be considered in these settings, particularly given a recent case series documenting the new onset of ITP associated with COVID-19.(reference 1)

DIC can also be a chronic condition as opposed to acute. I think he's in good hands but I do want to know that those other clotting factors were checked out.
A mass between the stomach and the pancreas? Spleen?

I have not been tested for covid. I meet with the intern on Monday to compile the battery of EKG, blood tests, xrays and scans. I also meet with a eumologist.

I don't know what a eumologist is or does. Do you mean a rheumatologist?

No it's a lung guy. They are checking every major organ.

A lung guy is a Pulmonologist.
A Eumologist is a new one for me.