Cigna Healthcare Mexico Plans: Should I Get It in 2025?

If you’re searching for international health insurance as an expat in Mexico, Cigna Healthcare is one of the safest bets on the market. 

I can confidently say that they are one of the most reliable international insurance providers for anyone living in Mexico. And while there are more affordable options available, in my experience, the coverage, ease of use, and peace of mind are worth the extra cost.

In this guide, I’ll break down Cigna Healthcare insurance for expats in Mexico so that you can decide whether it’s right for you.

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What Is Cigna Healthcare?

If you’re a US citizen, you might know Cigna Group as one of the nation’s largest insurance companies. Cigna Healthcare belongs to this group and is one of the top insurance providers for expats. The company serves more than 178 million customers in 200+ countries worldwide.

Here’s what it means to you:

• You get a legit health insurance plan that expats worldwide have been using.
• The risk of a company bankruptcy is minimal with a large insurer like Cigna Healthcare. This means you can feel confident that they will remain stable.
• Cigna Healthcare has been doing this for a long time, and their network of doctors and hospitals is huge. In fact, the company has over 2 million partnerships worldwide, including Mexico.

Downsides of Cigna Healthcare for Expats in Mexico

No company is perfect, and Cigna Healthcare is no exception. That said, here are a few tradeoffs to be aware of:

• Let’s be honest, Cigna Healthcare is far from being the cheapest option on the market. But for what you get, it feels fair. It’s a premium provider, so while you’ll pay more than with local plans, what you get in return is hard to match.
• Maternity coverage is available only in the Gold package and above.
• Cover for evacuations and repatriations is only available as an add-on to the standard coverage, which you might need if you live in a rural area with limited access to well-equipped medical facilities. However, that’s pretty normal; most providers treat evacuation and repatriation as extras you can tack on.

Therefore, if you’re on a strict budget, it might be worth comparing other options. However, if you need a reliable insurer that ticks all the boxes for a fair price, Cigna Healthcare is a safe and strong bet.

Tip: Personally, I’d rather pay a little more upfront than deal with frustrating claims or surprise bills. Cigna Healthcare delivers on that front. They have been just about perfect for all my needs, and our readers tell us they’ve had mostly positive experiences, too.

Plans and Coverage

In Mexico, Cigna Healthcare offers three main expat insurance packages:

Plan	Annual limits	Coverage area
Silver	US$1 million	Worldwide (option to include USA)
Gold	US$2 million	Worldwide (option to include USA)
Platinum	Unlimited	Worldwide (option to include USA)

Silver

The Silver package is the most popular package for expats in Mexico. The US$1,000,000 coverage is normally sufficient in Mexico since the cost of healthcare here is quite affordable. 

Additionally, the Silver package comes with global coverage, so you can receive care from a top-tier hospital in Cigna Healthcare’s network anywhere in the world, depending on your chosen area of coverage.

• US$1,000,000 annual limit
• Private room
• International coverage
• Full cancer care up to US$1,000,000
• Medical imaging and scans up to US$10,000
• Rehabilitation, including physiotherapy, up to US$5,000
• Emergency room treatment up to US$500
• Transplant services

In my opinion, unless you are on a tight budget, it’s worth paying that extra bit for the Silver package, as it comes with higher coverage limits. Sometimes, the US$500,000 might not be enough if you’re admitted to the ICU for weeks in Mexico. For example, this Reddit user shared that his friend was admitted to the ICU in Mexico for a week, and the bill came out to US$180,000.

The Silver package also allows you to stay in a private room instead of a semi-private one, making your hospitalization experience much more comfortable.

Gold and Platinum

As you might expect, you get higher limits for treatments, emergency room visits, and other services if you upgrade to Gold (US$2,000,000 annual limit) or Platinum (unlimited limit). 

The Gold package comes with the added perk of inpatient maternity and newborn care coverage, while the Platinum plan even includes mental and behavioral healthcare. Additionally, the Platinum plan offers unlimited coverage.

However, in my opinion, both the Gold and Platinum packages can be overkill, as it’s highly unlikely you’ll need that much annual coverage unless:

• You need coverage for maternity or mental health
• You frequently travel abroad

That said, for the vast majority of expats, these plans may be more than necessary.

Area of Coverage for Expats in Mexico

Cigna Healthcare has two main insurance categories when it comes to your coverage area.

• Global coverage, excluding the USA.
• Global coverage, including the USA

What’s Not Covered by Cigna Healthcare

While all of Cigna Healthcare’s plans are pretty comprehensive, the main plans don’t provide cover for the following (though they are available as add-ons):

• Outpatient coverage
• International medical evacuation
• Health and wellbeing (such as health check-ups)
• Vision and dental

That being said, most international health insurance providers don’t offer these services as part of their core packages. Plus, most expats in Mexico won’t really need these add-ons.

Outpatient checkups at private hospitals can cost as little as US$18, and vision and dental work are also much more affordable in Mexico than in many developed economies.

The one exception to this would be international medical evacuations, which might be useful if you are living in remote areas of Mexico. 

Exclusions

Certain medical services are excluded from insurance coverage. These include:

• Self-inflicted injuries
• Prescriptions for preexisting or non-disclosed conditions
• Nutritional counselling and food supplements
• Life support (unless it is expected that the patient will recover)
• Sleep disorders (except for severe sleep apnea cases)
• Treatment for injuries resulting from disasters and conflicts (wars and natural disasters)
• Obesity-related treatments (covered by Gold and Platinum plans)
• Treatments for addiction or alcohol use disorder

These exclusions are common among international insurance. You can head to Cigna Healthcare website to see a full list of the policy exclusions.

Additional Coverage 

As I mentioned before, Cigna Healthcare offers three add-on packages for Silver, Gold, and Platinum plan. These add-ons apply to medical services outside of Mexico, too as long as it’s within your chosen area of coverage.

Your coverage limit for each additional service depends on your level of coverage. For example, you’ll have a higher spending limit for outpatient treatments with the Gold plan than the Silver plan.

Outpatient Treatment

The outpatient treatment add-on gives you access to healthcare treatments that don’t require a hospital admission, such as specialist consultations and diagnostic tests. Essentially, this add-on covers anything that doesn’t land you in a hospital bed. It also provides cover for hearing aids. 

The limits (for the Silver plan) are:

• Annual limit: US$15,000
• Consultation: US$2,500
• X-ray: US$2,500
• Outpatient rehabilitation: US$5,000

Should you get it?

In my opinion, most expats don’t need this. It’s usually more cost-effective to simply visit the hospital for any needed treatments and pay for Mexico’s inexpensive outpatient healthcare services out of pocket.

Evacuation and Repatriation

This add-on provides access to emergency transport to the nearest suitable hospital. It’s also possible to repatriate you back to your home country. In addition, it includes five trips for compassionate reasons at up to $1,200 per trip, plus a daily living allowance of $155 for up to ten days per trip under the Silver package.

Should you get it?
This totally depends on where you live and your activities. If you live in a big city like Mexico City and don’t go out to remote areas regularly, this add-on isn’t necessary since the core plan already includes both road and air ambulance coverage.

On the other hand, if you live in remote areas or regularly go there, you might want to consider i

Health and Wellbeing

This is essentially for health check-ups and mental health packages. Perfect if you like to want to stay on top of your mental and physical health while living in Mexico. This add-on covers the costs of health checkups up to the value of $325 per visit (Silver Plan). The types of checkups covered include:

• Routine physical examination
• Footcare (up to 5 sessions)
• Cervical cancer screening
• Prostate cancer screening
• Breast cancer screening

Another perk of this add-on is that it includes mental health support, giving you access to a mental health specialist 20 times per year. You can also access mental health specialists through the app, 24 hours a day.

Should you get it?

If you feel like you might benefit from mental health support, I’d suggest this upgrade. It might also motivate you to actually check your physical health once a year, knowing that you have the option already covered.

Vision and Dental

If you pay for the Vision and Dental add-on for the Silver plan, you get:

• US$100 for an eye test
• US$155 for spectacles
• US$1,250 for dental work

Services related to vision are relatively comprehensive, but the dental package might not be enough to cover the costs of intensive procedures such as root canals.

With this add-on, Cigna Healthcare will cover between 40% and 80% of your treatment costs, and you’ll be liable to pay the rest. Still, in certain scenarios, this could help you save a lot of money.

Should you get it?

I don’t think so. In most scenarios, this add-on would not be worth the cost for most expats, given the low cost of dental and vision services in Mexico.

Which Add-Ons Should I Get?

In summary:

• Outpatient treatment is inexpensive in Mexico, so you might not benefit from this add-on.
• Evacuation and repatriation services may be useful to you depending on where you live in Mexico and the nearest available medical facilities.
• If you struggle with mental health and want access to a counsellor, the Health and Wellbeing add-on could prove to be a valuable investment.
• In most cases, the Vision and Dental add-on isn’t necessary for Mexico expats.

Other Benefits of Cigna Healthcare for Mexico

Besides its comprehensive insurance plans and relationships with vast networks of medical professionals, Cigna Healthcare offers services that make it particularly useful for expats. Here are some stand-out aspects of Cigna Healthcare:

Global Telehealth

This is my personal favorite for various reasons:

• With Global Telehealth, you can access therapists, counselors, and specialists worldwide over the phone anytime of the day.
• You get medical advice on how to treat yourself when you’re sick and don’t always have to physically visit a doctor’s office.
• They can also recommend the hospital and doctor that best suit your condition and location.

Also, not all insurance providers offer this benefit.

24/7 Customer Support

This is another great benefit of being insured with a large insurance company. They have customer support available 24/7 and offer service in many languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, and more. Cigna Healthcare’s support is also known to be very good and responsive. You can contact them via phone, app, or email.

Cigna Wellbeing App

Another feature that stands out to me is the Cigna Wellbeing app. It’s got several handy tools for tracking your health and even scheduling virtual consults. For example, it has health assessments, lifestyle programs, and biometric data trackers.

Waiting Period

When you purchase insurance from Cigna, you can claim for most treatments from the day your insurance starts. However, you’re required to wait a minimum number of months to access certain treatments through your insurance. 

Waiting periods include:

• 3 months: Preventive and routine dental treatment
• 12 months: Routine maternity, complications, homebirths, newborn care, congenital conditions, major dental treatment
• 18 months: Orthodontic treatment
• 24 months: Obesity-related treatments, infertility treatment (Platinum only)

This waiting period is common among health insurance plans.

Which Hospitals in Mexico Should I Visit with Cigna Healthcare?

The insurance provider you choose impacts where you can access medical services. Not all insurers cover the costs of treatments at all hospitals. Cigna Healthcare shines here, with its network of over 2 million hospitals and healthcare providers in over 200 countries. In fact, hospitals and doctors in Mexico tend to be relieved that Cigna Healthcare is your insurer, as they know it means a reliable and fast payment. 

Since their insurance plan is comprehensive, you can visit any private hospital in Mexico and your treatment costs should be fully covered. This includes top-tier facilities such as Hospital Ángeles, Médica Sur, and San Javier Hospital.

Cigna Healthcare Mexico Claims Process: Is it Easy?

In short, yes.

Most hospitals in Mexico will handle the claims directly once you’ve displayed your Cigna Healthcare card. So you’ll likely never have to deal with the payments and claims process yourself. 

In case you need to make a claim yourself such as for outpatient treatment, you can do so easily using Cigna Healthcare’s app. You just need to upload the medical certificate and the bill to the app’s member area, and you’ll usually be reimbursed within 5 working days after they receive all necessary documents.

If you have any planned treatments, I recommend contacting Cigna Healthcare ahead of time to obtain pre-authorization. It’s a good way to avoid surprises and make sure everything’s covered from the start.

Cigna Healthcare Deductible and Cost Share Options

Cigna Healhcare gives you a few ways to lower your monthly premium, depending on how much you’re willing to pay out of pocket. If you’re generally healthy and don’t go to the doctor often, it might make sense to take on a bit more of the upfront cost to bring your overall price down.

For example, you can reduce the cost of your plan by opting to pay a deductible between $375 and $10,000. This means that, if you need treatment, you’ll cover the cost to the value of your deductible, and they will pay the rest.

There are also coinsurance options, where you agree to cover a certain percentage, such as 10%, 20%, or 30%, of any treatment you require once you’ve paid the deductible. The higher the share of the cost you take on, the less your plan will cost.

Since the cost of healthcare is reasonable in Mexico, I’d suggest choosing a cost share or deductible option. You’ll likely find that the savings on your premiums will make up for the fact that you have to pay a bit for coverage.

Which Plan Should I Get?

In my opinion, the Silver plan will work for most expats in Mexico. Here’s a quick summary of Cigna Healthcare insurance plans for Mexico expats:

• Silver: Introduces emergency treatment and comes with coverage worldwide. This plan is ideal for expats who need coverage in several countries and want more comprehensive coverage.
• Gold: This package comes with a higher coverage limit and includes inpatient maternity and newborn care.
• Platinum: This is the most comprehensive plan. You can access mental health services around the clock. It comes with unlimited coverage and access to a wide variety of care options.

For reference, treatment costs for severe accidents in Mexico can range from a few hundred dollars to over $10,000 at the country’s top hospitals. Even the most expensive hospitals rarely charge more than $40,000 for serious conditions like cancer, heart attacks, strokes, or back surgery.

For example, the average cost of bypass surgery in Mexico is around $27,000. So, having $500,000 to $1 million in coverage is usually more than enough for most people’s medical needs.

Plans for Retirees in Mexico

Unlike many other international health insurance providers, Cigna Healthcare doesn’t impose any age restrictions. So, if you’re an expat retiree in Mexico looking for a more comprehensive coverage option with better care than the basic public IMSS scheme, Cigna Healthcare is a good option. 

Sure, some may argue that expats can definitely get adequate care from the IMSS public healthcare. So, opting for public healthcare is still a good option if you want the most affordable option.

However, given the issues that Mexico’s public healthcare system faces, such as long waiting times and understaffing, I recommend investing in an insurance plan that offers a little extra.

Their Silver plan is ideal for retirees in Mexico. The US$1,000,000 cap is typically sufficient to meet the healthcare needs of retirees living in Mexico.

Disclaimer:

This article is based on my in-depth research into Cigna Healthcare plans for expats in Mexico, including a full review of their brochure and policy. I also consulted with insurance brokers to verify the information. However, it doesn’t include every term, detail, or exclusion. Otherwise, the article would be far too long. So before buying a plan, it’s best to read Cigna Healthcare’s policy carefully to understand exactly what is and isn’t covered. If anything is unclear, be sure to confirm it with a representative in writing.