MANAGED CARE August 2000. ©2000 MediMedia USA
An affordable option for integrated health care bridging private U.S. insurers and Mexico's social security system would save American employers money while providing better care to Mexicans who work in the U.S. but whose families live in Mexico, according to a study.
The Mexico-USA Cross-Border Health Insurance Initiative, a joint project of the Academy for International Health Studies, the Mexican Health Foundation, and the California Healthcare Foundation, found there is a market for this type of coverage. The main problem with a cross-border plan, however, is affordability. Three quarters of those interviewed for the study earn $25,000 or less a year, and the monthly premium would have to be as low as $60 to be affordable, the study's authors wrote. With lower health care costs in Mexico, a $60 premium could buy adequate coverage.