May 23
Check Your Insurance for a Mexican Vacation
While it’s worth considering the source, there is a sobering report issued by the Mexican Insurance Store on the top legal and insurance related problems experienced while driving on vacation in Mexico. Unlike the law in the U.S., in Mexico the assumption of guilt prevails over the assumption of innocence. The penalties for not having insurance while traveling in Mexico can be severe.
U.S. and Canadian auto insurance is NOT recognized in Mexico. Vacationers that don’t have Mexican auto insurance and have an accident may spend many hours or days in jail and have their vehicle confiscated.
Mexico can be a dangerous place to be without emergency medical assistance. Most U.S. health insurance (According to the Mexican Insurance Store) is not valid in Mexico. Moreover, buying auto insurance with emergency medical assistance is often not valid in rural areas. Travelers need to read the fine print in emergency medical assistance options.
In order to save money, insurance companies limit their coverage to major cities of Mexico. Outlying services are provided by third parties sub-contracted with the insurance company. It is important to watch for this because most of Mexico is rural and some insurance policies say they cover it, which is technically accurate; however the broker should tell you that for rural areas the policy actually reads, “We will do the best we can.”
Emergency medical assistance coverage with low financial caps is another area where the fine print can not be overlooked. Most policies have a low monetary limit or do not cover pre-existing conditions. Evacuation by air or land can be expensive and is not included in many policies.
Finally, the Mexican Insurance store recommends a minimum coverage of $20,000 for legal assistance and bail bonds. Maybe you should consider Bermuda instead.
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May 24th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Yikes! Bermuda, indeed. With such scary prospects surrounding travel insurance to Mexico, there are a lot of other destinations that start to look pretty attractive. I have a sibling who lives in San Diego, and she has commented on the extra car insurance that they are selling to her before every trip across the border. Apparently, it’s a good idea!