By Karen McConnaughey
Myth: I’ll get
sick, and I’ve heard health care is not all that good in Mexico.
Big Myth-stake! If you do
get sick in Mexico,
health care is very good and very cheap.
Quality Health Care in Mexico
Mexico has an excellent reputation for the quality of its
health care system. As in every country, there are good and bad physicians, and
better and worse hospitals. In general, the physicians and surgeons in Mexico (and Lake Chapala and Guadalajara in particular) are well
trained and have good diagnostic and treatment skills. Many received at
least part of their training in the U.S.
or Europe. Every mid-size to large city in Mexico has at
least one first-rate hospital and in Guadalajara there are many excellent hospitals. And a big plus is that the cost of health care
in Mexico is generally
one-half or less what you might expect to pay in the U.S. The hospitals
are usually easily accessible and well equipped. In the major centers such as Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara, the
hospitals often have leading edge equipment and techniques that equal or exceed
those available "North of the Border." My personal experience with
Mexican doctors is that they seem more experienced in diagnosing common
problems than U.S. doctors, are more willing to try different therapies, and,
most importantly, they spend more time with their patients.
Health Care is Affordable in Lake Chapala
And, of course, the costs of medical care will vary by physician,
hospital, and the seriousness of your condition, but on average, an office
visit with a doctor—specialists included—will cost around 250 to 300 pesos
(about $25). A house call...yes, doctors in Mexico still make house
calls...will cost around the same. Lab tests will cost about a third of what
they cost in the U.S.
A CAT scan often costs about 25%
of what it does in the U.S.
An overnight stay in a private hospital room costs about 350 pesos ($35). A
visit to a dentist for cleaning costs about 250 pesos ($25).
Mexico also allows its foreign visitors the opportunity to
enroll in the national health care program (IMSS). The care varies with this
service. Depending on what area you are in, you may find a small clinic or a
large, modern hospital. Under this plan, you won't be able to choose your
physician as you would should you seek private medical care. Most people will
retain a private physician, and then ask that physician to refer them to an
IMSS clinic or hospital when extensive tests or labs are needed. In addition,
if you need a specialist and are referred by a private physician, you will be
given an appointment with the best expert in town.
Did you know that more than half
of Americans who file for bankruptcy say that medical bills were a factor! Because
of that, Americans, particularly those
living near the Mexican border, now routinely cross to Mexico for
medical care. Popular specialties include dentistry and plastic surgery.
Mexican dentists often charge one-fifth to one-fourth of U.S. prices, while other
procedures typically cost a third what they would in the U.S.
This trend has alarmed American health care providers
who, fearing a loss of business, warn patients away from Mexico.
However, many who travel to Mexico
for care report that they are satisfied. According to a report commissioned by
Families U.S.A., a Washington advocacy group
for health-care issues, "About 90 percent [feel] the care they had
received in Mexico
had been good or excellent. About 80 percent rated the care they had received
in the United States
as good or excellent."
According to the web site
Mexipreneur, the average cost of a knee
replacement for an uninsured patient in the United States is around
$40,000. What does the same surgery cost at one of Mexico's top
hospitals? Around $11,500. More and more foreigners are seeking
medical and dental care in Mexico.
For uninsured Americans, traveling to Mexico for surgery is a great cost
savings alternative.
Medical
Procedure |
USA |
Mexico |
| Angioplasty |
Up to $57,000 |
$17,100 |
| Heart Bypass |
Up to $144,000 |
$21,100 |
| Heart Valve Replacement |
Up to $170,000 |
$31,000 |
| Knee Replacement |
Up to $50,000 |
$11,500 |
| Hip Resurfacing |
Up to $30,000+ |
$13,400 |
| Hip Replacement |
Up to $43,000 |
$13,800 |
| Special Fusion |
Up to $100,000 |
$8,000 |
| Face Lift |
Up to $15,000 |
$8,000 |
| Rhinoplasty |
Up to $8,000 |
$5,000 |
| Lap Band/Bariatric |
Up to $30,000 |
$9,200 |
| Hysterectomy |
Up to $15,000 |
$7,500 |
| Dental Implant |
$2,000-10,000 |
$1,000 |
MEDICAL
TOURISM IN MEXICO
Medical tourism (also called medical travel, health
tourism or global healthcare) means traveling to other countries to obtain
cheap medical, dental and surgical care. The exorbitant costs of health care
in industrialized nations has led to the worldwide popularity of medical
tourism. More and more people are traveling abroad as an affordable and
enjoyable way to undergo plastic surgery and dental procedures. If you are thinking about medical tourism,
you are not alone. In 2010, almost one million U.S. residents alone traveled
abroad for medical care, according to Deloitte Consulting.
As
Dana Blankenhorn said in April 2010, on the web site SmartPlanet, in his
article “The Giant Sucking Sound of Mexican Medical Tourism,”...“While most
headlines about Mexico
involve immigration or drugs, there is another giant sucking sound coming from
our south. That’s the sound of medical tourism dollars.”
For the past decade, medical tourism has
touched and improved many lives across the world. This trend of global
health care has been meting out benefits galore not only for the patient in need
of quality care but also for those offering the same. A million-dollar
industry, this phenomenon is a win-win situation for both parties. Apart from
the pioneers, there are many other places making great strides in the same
field, and one of them happens to be Mexico. Providing highly trained
and experienced surgeons and physicians, Mexico
has been giving the United States
ample competition for years and will continue to do so as medical costs in the U.S. continue
to rise.
Mexico's reputation as a nation
furthering the aim of global health care is fast catching up to its popularity as a famous tourist destination. Increased economic
growth has led to many positives, some of them being improved standards of
health care, technological advancements, and fast-paced scientific breakthrough.
With all this comes the biggest advantage of low-cost, high-quality medical
services being offered by many private and public hospitals. Reaping the
benefits that Mexico
as a medical tourism hub has to offer seems like the best
thing to do. Add to that, the close proximity, cultural familiarity and fluency
in English make this North American nation a viable option.
The Future of Medical Tourism in Mexico
Medical tourism in Mexico
is expected to grow, especially among North Americans and Canadians seeking
affordable yet quality and effective treatments from gastric bypass
to face lifts to hip resurfacing. Baby boomers (those born between
1946 and 1964) are expected to lead the charge in medical migration to
destinations within Mexico,
from Cancun to Los Cabos to Guadalajara
that will cater to their needs. A popular bariatric procedure, lap band
surgery, which was approved by the FDA in the U.S. in 2001, has actually been performed for a longer time by Mexican surgeons.
A lot of privately owned hospitals are now being
built in Mexico
to meet American demand, with state-of-the-art facilities. Medical Tourism
Corp. adds that in addition to cost savings, some procedures that are new or
not-yet approved in the U.S. are commonplace in Mexico.
So if you are considering traveling outside of the
United States or Canada for medical treatment, Mexico offers a chance to obtain
high quality treatment at a fraction of the cost involved in the getting the same
treatment in the U.S., and yet it is only a short hop away for most North Americans.
As SolutionsAbroad.com says, “Medical tourism may not
be for everyone; however, its growing popularity indicates that it is worth
researching. You may find that having a less expensive surgery performed in Mexico
could make the difference between getting the surgery or going without it.
Perhaps you could even bring the family along for a few days at the beach to
boot.”
There are several organizations right here in Lake Chapala that offer Medical Tourism and manage everything, including accommodation and transportation to the hospital in Guadalajara. Ajijic is a wonderful place to recuperate as the near-perfect climate and sunshine everyday assist the healing process.
Karen McConnaughey:
Operations Manager for FocusOnMexico.
Focus On Mexico offers 8-Day
Educational Programs to Ajijic and Lake Chapala, Mexico (2nd Best
Climate in the World). Join us on a Focus program and learn why thousands of
Americans and Canadians chose to retire in Lake Chapala.
Our programs offer
the perfect balance; a wonderful vacation and an insightful, educational
experience. Our expert speakers cover all topics: Health Care, Real
Estate, Legal System, Immigration, Bringing Pets, Cost of Living, US Taxes for
Americans, Non-Residency for Canadians, Living on the Lakeside, Investing in
Mexico, Mexican Economy and much more...
You'll get everything
you need to help you decide if Lake Chapala, Mexico is the place for you, plus have a lot of fun doing it.
Retiring in Mexico couldn't be better.
Sources:
hgh.im/hormone-replacement-therapy-news/
ssrn.co.uk/
mexipreneur.com
thailandchat.org
mysurgerymexico.com
http://biotechconnection.com
http://hubpages.com/hub/Truths-and-Myths-About-Medical-Tourism
smartplanet.com
wikepedia.org
solutionsabroad.com