Medical Tourism — Right Across the Border
Mexicali has adopted medical care as its primary tourist lure, and it has been attracting a growing number of health care commuters from California and other nearby states. Hospitals offer operations for gastric bypass, liposuction and chronic back pain. Dentists promise that extractions, fillings and whitening can all be done for less money. And ophthalmologists advertise laser surgery and routine exams.
Cheap care vs. safe care? See Jennifer Medina‘s post in the New York Times.
Si,si … senior.
“While the facilities appear clean and modern, there are no published studies monitoring infection rates or other risk factors.”
Sounds sketchy to me.
In 2010 I toured private hospitals in San Jose, Costa Rica. I was rather impressed. These facilities looked just like the hospitals owned by the health care system I’ve worked at in Dallas. I also toured a dental lab that makes dental implants. About 80% of the output is for American dentists, who wanted better quality control than found in dental implants made in China.
Traveling abroad for medical care isn’t something that all Americans can do. However, I’m seeing more examples of domestic medical tourism, where local doctors, hospitals and clinics are offering package deals to people willing to drive across town, travel to a nearby state or fly to a facility across the country.
Sounds like most of the community hospitals in the United States…
BlueShield of California offers a health plan with cross-border care, called Access Baja for people who live within 60 miles of the border. Health plan members consist of both Mexican nationals who work in the United States, and American residents who want to take advantage of lower-cost care on the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexican border. I don’t recall the exact figures, but as I recall the premiums ranged from 35 percent to 40 percent lower than comparable policies with California-based providers.
Just wondering– What happens when an American commuter patient treated by a foreign hospital has a medical malpractice claim? What rules/laws apply? Will the two governments get involved at some point to conclude treaties as to the conflict of laws and other issues or does the contract between the American patient and the foreign hospital govern the resolution of conflicts and will continue to do so?
It may be cheaper in Mexico, but I wouldn’t trust it.
Good point, Imrana. I know a little bit about how chapter 11 of NAFTA works, but something that allows foreigners to sue foreign hospitals might be in the future.