Free health cover for Mexico City tourists

Mexico City officials are hoping to entice tourists with complimentary health insurance.

Travel Insurance News - 03/08/2009

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Under a new scheme unveiled by the city’s tourism leaders, visitors staying at hotels in the capital are now eligible for free emergency medical care, including hospital stays, ambulance services and prescription medications.

The “Tourist Assistance Card” was developed following the recent swine flu crisis in Mexico, which saw arrival numbers plunge dramatically throughout the country. Mexico City was particularly hard hit, having the largest number of reported cases of the flu. Officials virtually shut the city down, and hotels and other tourism operators, already suffering due to the slowdown caused by the recession, were damaged even further.

Mexico City’s tourism office is running the programme, and cover is provided by MAPFRE, a private insurer. Visitors staying at hotels in Mexico City are eligible for the coverage, with help available through a help line staffed by operators fluent in English, French, German, Portuguese – as well as Spanish. There is a deductible applied to some services, although the details were not readily available; and travel insurance coverage is typically limited to emergencies.

Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico City’s mayor, said Tuesday at the program’s launch: “Of all the world’s largest cities, Mexico City is the first to try this.”

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