Auto and Health Travel Insurance in Mexico

You are thinking about a car trip to Mexico but you’ve never been there before and you’re wondering about insurance. Is there special insurance needed for Mexico? What type of insurance is needed for my car? Will my insurance from home cover me in Mexico? Do I need medical insurance?

The first thing you should know is that your U.S. insurance will not cover you in Mexico. Mexico does not recognize U.S. insurance so yes; you do need special insurance in Mexico. You must have auto liability insurance and getting short-term health insurance is a good idea.

You could wait until the last moment and buy your auto insurance at the border but you can avoid the wait and the hassle by getting it ahead of time.

Get collision, certain weather events, total theft and fire. The main exclusions are vandalism and partial theft. Mexican insurance figures the deductible as a certain percentage of the value of the car. There are no claims for pain and suffering and personal injury lawyers do not exist in Mexico. This is either very refreshing or awful, depending on your point of view. What it means for you is that an ideal limit for liability insurance is about $100,000. Don’t go for a split like$40/$80/$40 thousand. It is best to go with large, proven companies.

Health care in Mexico is generally good although there are some exceptions.

Health care in the larger cities is often at the cutting edge. You can purchase short term travel medical insurance for from 15 days to 12 months. Your coverage should include the cost of medical evacuation back to the States and this can cost from $15,000 to $25,000. One place on the Internet to find Mexican Health Insurance companies is Med to Go.

Now that you have good auto and health insurance, you can travel to and around Mexico with peace of mind. Hasta la vista.