Medical Tourism is the ever-growing and popular practice of traveling to another country for expert medical care and surgical procedures. In late 2010, medical tourism to Mexico was noted as one of the fastest growing segments of the medical tourism business.
The demand for affordable quality health care historically brought many Americans to Mexico for many years. Now, with increased costs for health care in the United States looming in the not-too- distant future, more and more Americans are opting for an affordable health care option. Add to that the surging numbers of unemployed who are uninsured or under-insured in the United States and you have another category of people who seek cost-saving, quality medical care south of the border.
The procedures that are popular among medical tourism patients are heart surgery, orthopedic procedures, eye surgery, weight loss surgery and cosmetic surgery as a result of specialty care in Mexico for less out-of-pocket expense.
After years of minimal development growth in the sector of private hospitals in Mexico, the demand created by Americans through medical tourism has expanded the construction of private hospitals by double digits. This boom has spread from large hospitals to medical clinics featuring state of the art equipment, many of which are compared to the best in the world.
The increased demand for medical tourism also points to the affordability of medical care and surgery in Mexico. Overall costs, including medical testing, are notably at about 30{d12c25610243042b09500b0060ea6d37dace7f22fb8ef1db378f2f4a8d1039ec} to 60{d12c25610243042b09500b0060ea6d37dace7f22fb8ef1db378f2f4a8d1039ec} less of what it would cost for treatment and testing in a medical facility in the United States for any major medical condition.
The physicians and staff in hospitals designated for medical tourism in Mexico are educated in the best medical schools that Mexico has to offer. In fact, Mexican doctors are very proficient in procedures either recently approved or not yet approved by the FDA in the United States. This is an important feature for patients needing advanced specialty medical care not yet available in the U.S. In many instances, the advanced medical treatment in Mexico can cut time needed for convalescing in half.
Medical tourists will be pleased to learn that many state-of-the-art hospitals are located in Mexico. Most noted locations are in Guadalajara, Mexico City, Queretaro, Hermosillo and Merida in the Yucatan. One of the notable hospital groups in Mexico is CIMA, owned by the International Hospital Corporation, an American company, with locations throughout Mexico.
Before you venture into the world of medical tourism, it is suggested you do a good amount of research. The reputable medical tourism companies will have a medical team and a nursing team that can guide you through the process and help you select just the right doctor and hospital for your procedure. Usually, your transportation and lodging expenses are included in the medical tour package.
Generally, most physicians and staff treating medical tourism patients speak English. If they are not proficient in English,a full service medical tourism company will provide a translator. Most of these tourism companies provide the benefit of doing all of the work for you at a fraction of the cost and effort of working with your local HMO or medical provider.
If you are in a medical bind and need specialty medical attention, don’t give up. Make sure to investigate all of your options with Mexico medical tourism at the top of your list. You may be able to get healthy, afford a long weekend at the beach and have the best medical treatment you ever thought or imagined you could have anywhere as close to home, just south of the border, in Mexico.
