SEGURO SOCIAL

Look what we got today! Health insurance.

Early this morning (a lesson learned from our last bureaucratic escapade) we took a taxi (another lesson) to a huge hospital complex where we were hoping/planning to get our "credential" for health insurance. After wending our way through various walkways and asking for directions several times, we came to a building (hidden in the shade of a soccer stadium) labeled IMSS. We went to the reception desk and were given ticket #559. Inside there were hundreds of people and tv screens flashing ticket numbers and service windows from #1 to who knows what the last one was. My heart sank. I thought, "we're going to be here all day." But no, in less than five minutes our number was called.

The woman behind the desk started to tell us what documents we needed. But we were prepared. Oh, were we prepared. Originals plus copies of every document we brought to this country with us plus every document we've gotten since. Not to mention three tiny photos of each of us. We filled out a (self-reported) medical form: do you drink? yes. do you smoke? no. Etc. Then ka-chunk, ka-chunk. A wonderful sound. We got forms to take to a different window. Again, we were taken almost immediately. Then, off to the bank to pay the fee ($548 for both of us for a year) and back again with the proof of said payment. We are now medically insured--no co-pay, no deductible, no Republicans coming here to take it away from us. ¡Viva Mexico!