| For years now, Mexico hospitals have been a gold | | | | insurance system is overpriced and unfair. What |
| standard for medical travel. Proximity to the U.S., | | | | coverage is available through most individual plans |
| associations with high caliber U.S. education, research | | | | costs too much, and will pay for much too little. |
| and medical institutions, and low costs of doing | | | | Because of the number of people holding insurance |
| business have resulted in an increasing number of | | | | policies, the insurance companies have tremendous |
| American medical travelers choosing Mexico for | | | | power over the doctors who take care of those |
| procedures as varied as kidney transplant, joint | | | | people. The insurance company can decide which |
| replacement, gastric bypass, sleeve and band, dental | | | | doctors they will allow patients to see, and which will |
| care and cardiology. | | | | not be on the plan. Because of that, they have a lot |
| Quality Care at Less Cost | | | | of say in what the doctors can and cannot do. |
| Mexico doctors performing hip surgery, including hip | | | | In Mexico hospitals, insurance companies are not a |
| replacement and hip resurfacing procedures, often | | | | determining factor in health care costs. The lower |
| have received extensive training, and are members | | | | prices for common procedures such as angioplasty, |
| of U.S. associations (e.g. American Association of | | | | hip replacement and gastric bypass surgery mean |
| Orthopedic surgeons). Mexico's top private hospitals | | | | that many U.S. insurance companies have begun |
| feature staff and skill that equal or surpass what you | | | | reimbursing U.S. patients for surgeries performed in |
| would find stateside, yet it's not uncommon for the | | | | Mexico. |
| charge at Mexico hospitals to be one-third to one-half | | | | Hip Surgery: Mexico Makes a Difference |
| what it would be at a U.S. hospital. | | | | When patients first visit a Mexico hospital, they are |
| There are many reasons why Mexico hospitals are | | | | often surprised at the modern, state-of-the-art |
| able to charge less for the services they provide. | | | | facility they encounter. In the U.S., it is not |
| First, the cost of living is less expensive in Mexico. | | | | uncommon for patients to meet their surgeon just |
| Construction, wages, and real estate prices are much | | | | before surgery, if at all. While in Mexico, doctors |
| lower in Mexico vs. the U.S. Healthcare, supplies and | | | | expect to forge a personal relationship with their |
| state-of-the-art equipment cost doctors in Mexico | | | | patients. |
| much less than the doctor operating the same type | | | | The difference between hip surgery in Mexico and |
| of facility in the United States. Of course, it is the | | | | the United States is a difference in price, not a |
| patient who reaps the benefit in savings. | | | | difference in quality. In Mexico hospitals, medical |
| The Impact of Insurance Companies | | | | travelers are finding a higher standard of care at a |
| Most people in the United States agree that the | | | | lower cost. |