How to Get HUGE Retiree Benefits in Mexico
Susan Haskins
Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007
Mexico City, Mexico
No one wants to get older. Certainly not me. In fact, if anyone ever discovers the Fountain of Youth, I'll be the first in line to suck down its age-defying aquavitae, no matter how putrid or bitter.
But if there is anything that could possibly reconcile me to getting older, it is news like this:
Foreigners who are age 60 or older and who hold a valid residence visa for Mexico can take part in Mexico's Instituto Nacional de las Personas Adultas Mayores (INAPAM) benefits program. http://www.inapam.gob.mx
The program offers discounts on a wide range of services, including on health-related services (hospitals, doctors' visits, lab tests, medical devices, pharmacies, and dental work); cultural activities like theater tickets and entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites; transportation and accommodation, including airline tickets, buses, car rentals and purchase; and at hotels and many stores. Discounts can range from 5% to 50% off the full price of the good or service.
Keep in mind that not all INAPAM field office staff may be aware that these benefits extend to foreigners. When our reporter visited the INAPAM office in Campeche, for example, her inquiries were met with blank stares. At her insistence, the Campeche representative called INAPAM headquarters in Mexico City and found that, yes, indeed--foreigners with Mexico residence visas are eligible.
Once you have your INAPAM membership card in hand, show it at participating locations to get your discount. The card is valid throughout Mexico--as well as for some services in foreign countries (Best Western Hotels in Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Ecuador, for example, offer discounts to INAPAM cardholders).
You can download the entire list of participating companies and the discounts they offer, in Spanish, here. Keep in mind that this particular list covers participants primarily in Mexico City--you'll want to get a comprehensive list for your Mexico location from your local INAPAM office. For residents of Baja California this office is in Mexicali:
Lic. Germán Rosales Simental
Centro de Rehabilitación Integral (CRI)
Avenida Cuauhtémoc No. 384
Fracc. Las Fuentes, C.P. 21230
Mexicali, B. C.
01 686 567 4520 / 01 686 841 4171
01 686 567 0709 (Tel. y Fax)
01 686 567 1339 / 01 686 567 5389 (Fax)
inapam_bcn@yahoo.com.mx
I have just spent some time looking through the list and it is so extensive that my head is swimming. Some of the highlights:
* 50% discount on public buses
* 5% discount on purchases at Gigante stores nationwide (some local stores may offer even larger discounts)
* 20% discount on medication purchases at Farmacias del Ahorro pharmacies
* Up to 30% discount at restaurants and pizzerias
* 10% to 50% discounts from participating attorneys and accountants
* Up to 30% off the cost of automobile service work and 30% off the cost of new tires
* 25% off hardware, 20% off construction materials, and 20% off the cost of construction work
* Up to 50% off at a hair stylist
* 25% off floral arrangements
* 25% off dry cleaning
* Up to 50% off veterinarian and pet grooming services
* 50% off language classes
And discounts on everything from food to clothes and shoes to appliances, even cars. Hertz car rental licensees in Mexico provide every third day free!
Entertainment? You get free entry to almost all museums and archeological sites. Take art classes or go to the theater for 50% off. Go see a movie for 20 pesos (less than two bucks). Save up to 50% at the gym. Save up to 50% on hotel costs. (Both the Hotel Real de Minas and the Hotel Misión de los Angeles in San Miguel de Allende offer a 50% discount, for example. You can save 40% at the all-inclusive Qualton Club in Puerto Vallarta, and 50% at the Best Wetern Cancún Clipper in Cancún.) Get 10-15% off airfares from American, Avianca, Mexicana, Lufthansa Airlines, and more. Get your third day free from Hertz Car Rental, and save up to 50% on travel agency services.
Medical services, though, is where this program shines. There are discounts on every kind of service. Save 40% on ambulance services, and up to 50% on services from specialists like cardiologists, dermatologists, ENT and gastro specialists, gynecologists, neurologists, oncologists, sports medicine specialists, ophthalmologists, dentists, surgeons (even cosmetic surgeons). Really…there are just too many to list here…
Looking for alternative medicine specialists? You can save up to 50% or more there, too.
Save 20-30% on prescription costs, 30% on orthopedic apparatus, up to 40% on eyeglasses. Save up to 25% on hospital bills, 50% on lab work, and if all else fails, save 30% on funeral services.
According to INAPAM officials, they're adding more participating companies all the time--so once you have an INAPAM membership card, it's worth asking about the discount before you pay full price.
Another thing to keep in mind is that most of the goods and services I have mentioned cost far less in Mexico than they do just a few miles north…on the other side of the Rio Grande. But do you get the same quality of service? Yes. And many times even better…
In recent years, Mexico has taken a back seat to some other Latin American nations when it has come to offering benefits to foreign retirees. And cost of living? I believe it can be even lower in Mexico than in those other booming Latin economies. Mark my words: when word gets out about these benefits…and people learn just how easy it is to live and do business in Mexico, you'll see more and more opting for La Vida Buena only found in Mexico.
Suzan Haskins
Latin America Insider, International Living
P.S. We'll cover these retiree benefits (as well as EVERYTHING else you need to know about Mexico) at the Live and Prosper in Mexico Seminar, Sept. 23 2007, in Puerto Vallarta. To get your $100 discount, e-mail events@internationalliving.com.
P.P.S. Non-Mexicans who wish to take part in the program must go to a local office of the Instituto Nacional de las Personas Adultas Mayores (National Institute for Senior Citizens, or INAPAM) to request a membership card. The Mexicali office is listed above..
You'll have to show the following documentation:
* Original passport (plus a photocopy) showing that you're at least 60 years old
* Picture ID (original plus photocopy)
* Contact information for someone responsible for you in case of an accident or emergency
* Passport-size photo
* A valid FM-2 or FM-3 residence visa, plus proof of address in Mexico
