California insurers offer coverage in Mexico too

Health plans and doctors hope that expanding coverage for Mexican workers in the United States will increase compensation as well as access to care.

By Cheryl Jackson, AMNews staff. Aug. 26, 2002.

The growing number of Mexicans working and living in the United States has insurers expanding cross-border health care benefits, possibly giving physicians some relief from uncompensated care.

Blue Shield of California last month began offering a plan that covers California workers and their families in Mexico. The offering is an expansion of the 2-year-old Access Baja plan that initially allowed workers to get medical services in Tijuana, Mexico, or in California.

"It has to do with cost, language, culture and convenience," said Jim Arriola, director of cross-border operations for Blue Shield of California.

The expansion of the HMO and PPO plans allows dependents of U.S. workers to receive health care services at home in Mexico.

Health Net of California also is expanding its cross-border plan, Salud con Health Net, which allows its 11,500 members to receive care either in California or in the northern border area of Mexico. Offered since 2000, by the end of 2003 it will expand from being available to California employer groups with 51 or more employees to smaller businesses.

Benefits and insurance firm E.J. Phelps & Co. offers Care México, a PPO plan with a network of hospitals and physicians in Mexican border cities.

Traditionally, an entire family is covered under one network.

"But, for many workers who live in California but have their families in Mexico, a standard program doesn't meet their needs," Blue Shield's Arriola said.

About 2,000 people are enrolled in Access Baja. Arriola expects to have as many as 20,000 enrollees over the next five years. [...]