Re: IMSS gov. health insurance

Posted by Bret and Donna on December 15, 2010, 11:01 pm, in reply to "gov. health insurance"
187.146.80.89

Here's our IMSS story. Hope it works well for you. We are quite satisfied with the medical service, and the annual trip to renew is just part of the cost. Where: go to the Manzanillo IMSS office for 1st-time application and renewals. If they tell you you have to apply (or renew) in PV because you live in Jalisco, tell them it's too hard to travel there and could you please do it in Manzanillo? This has worked for several people we know. (We got sent to PV and made our initial application there before we knew of this option. We have sucessfully renewed in Manzanillo once already.) They will asign you to the Manzanillo clinic by default, so you will need to ask at the beginning of the process to be changed to the Melaque clinic (or the Careyes clinic if you prefer that one.) Directions: (see included map) Follow the pink-highlighted driving route into the Centro, past the turn-off to Immigration, past the giant blue sailfish sculpture, left onto Calle Carillo Puerto, 5th left onto Calle Galindo (which quickly becomes Cuauhtemoc), 6th right onto Independencia, then right into the entrance of the upper-level parking above the big vegetable market. (If the entrance is blocked by a barrel or something, the parking lot is full. Try to find street parking nearby (watch all the one-way streets) and keep track of where you parked!) Take the stairs back down to Independencia, turn left, take 2nd left onto Calle Allende, IMMS is the small office about half-block on left side (see blue-highlighted walking route on map). Address #222 Allende. Their phone is 314-332-0189. Hours are 8-3 I think. What to bring for initial application (from our experience 2 yrs ago): Passport (original & copy of photo page) FM2 or FM3 (original & copy of I don't remember which pages: you can get copies made a couple doors down from IMSS) Photos: 2 copies, B/W, "infantil" size (1"x1.25"), front-view (get extras made to use for renewals each year.) Proof of address (electric bill or phone bill.) Copy of marriage license, translated into Spanish by a certified translator. This IMSS insurance is for families; singles have to try special tricks to get in. Some couples haven't had to present the marriage license, but we got turned away our first attempt (and sent to PV to boot.) We had to stay in PV until the next day for our certified translator to finish it. It's such an expensive hassle, you may just want to try applying without it and see how it goes. Payment for 1st year. Middle-aged people will pay about 2134 pesos each per year (less below 40 yrs old, more above 60 yrs old.) There's no extra fee the 1st year. They will tell you how much, then you'll walk a few blocks to the bank to pay cash and get a receipt to bring back to IMSS. The bank has an ATM if you need it. CURP number if you have it. If not, they might give you one for free as part of the application process (that's how we got ours when we renewed in Feb 2010.) Enough Spanish (or a dictionary or friend) to fill out the form they'll give you, including several questions about your personal habits and medical history (not too bad; much less than US health insurance forms!) Read the instructions on the back first. Read the lists of pre-existing conditions that aren't covered for the 1st 6 months, 1 year, 2 years. What to bring for renewal (from our experience in Feb): Same as above, except they didn't ask for the proof of address or the marriage license. Same payment, unless you passed an age breakpoint or they increased the fees. There's no form to fill out. Don't forget to bring your existing IMSS card. Once again you may need to plead with them to not have to go to PV to renew. And once again ask for your favorite local clinic. After paying at the bank, you'll get a new IMMS card. You get to keep the old one if you want a sparse record of your office visits for the last year. Good luck, and if you really have to do all this in PV, let us know and we can give you those directions (along with a certified marriage license translator there in PV.)

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