Americans go to Mexico for medicals to cut costs.

[Die_empty]

The recent kidnapping of four Americans exposed me to the medical tourism going on in America. I have always thought that the US was a perfect country has very functional health, economic, and political systems. I thought all Americans have access to cheap and quality medical services until I read that over one million Americans go on medical tourism in Mexico yearly.

And the reason why some of them choose Mexico was because of its quality and low cost. These medical tourists are aware that it is risky to do to some parts of Mexico, but they still go there because they want to cut costs.
Is there any other reason why Americans go to Mexico for medical?

[Rikafip]

I thought all Americans have access to cheap and quality medical services until I read that over one million Americans go on medical tourism in Mexico yearly.

Americans don't have universal health care but even if they did, that doesn't mean that certain percentage of wouldn't go to Mexico or other cheaper countries and same thing happens all over the world.

For example, here in Croatia we have decent universal health care but if you want to do something faster and can't wait, you go to private clinics and then some people go to neighbouring countries like Serbia that have lower standard so its cheaper to do certain stuff there like teeth implants, plastic surgeries, eye related procedures etc. And in the same way people from more developed countries come to Croatia to do their medical procedures because we are cheaper than Austria/Switzerland etc but still good.

[hugeblack]

I believe that bearing costs is the reason why a person prefers one country over another. Good medical care will not be free, and then you may not be able to afford it, especially for individuals in the middle and poor classes. There are also consequences after the operation, such as care in the first months, medicines and other costs.

Also, some countries are better in certain disciplines, this chart may give you better information, although I am surprised at the reason for choosing Mexico, perhaps because of the flight costs)

[Gozie51]

I can understand that if the US go to Mexico for health care needs and that should be selected few, those who can afford to leave the shores of US in search of cheaper health services because it is expensive for them there not necessarily because the health care system in there is not good. Those few are the rich and wealthy American population. Those wealthy are the most targeted in the Obama's administration. I remember the tussle then during Obama's regime on his health care bill that was eventually signed around March 2010. That law is what the Americans are still running with in their health care and it seems not to favour the wealthy because of the tax attached to it but the ordinary people are most beneficiaries of US health care and moreover, the system is overwhelming overburdened, so if the rich are traveling to Mexico for health care, you can understand the immediate reason because I think there health care system is more affordable for the ordinary and low income earners compared to the wealthiest of US population.

[Gyfts]

The U.S. has the highest quality healthcare system in the world, but it costs too much partly because of the regulatory framework that exists around it. It's inherently anti-competitive. Universal healthcare isn't the answer if you want to maintain high quality healthcare that isn't rationed there's an attainable middle ground that doesn't involve government subsidies.

Mexico has cheaper healthcare, but lower quality. It isn't a bad option for people.

The recent kidnapping of four Americans exposed me to the medical tourism going on in America. I have always thought that the US was a perfect country has very functional health, economic, and political systems. I thought all Americans have access to cheap and quality medical services until I read that over one million Americans go on medical tourism in Mexico yearly.

Just as a side note -- I'd wait for more information on this before we call medical tourism in Mexico dangerous. Seems odd Mexican cartels would target random U.S. citizens who were on their way for a cosmetic procedure. It's possible they were complicit in nefarious activities.

[Doan9269]

Wjen it comes to medical bills, it varies from place to place, it is wise to cut the cost by avoiding theost expensive places regardless of the conditions and settles for where it is less expensive, some medical treatment are not what can be taken care of within a day, some requires month and going to where the fee is less is a good idea, we have some surgical operations as well that could be affordable than in some expensive regions, when it comes to medical health treatment, we cannot predict the overall cost for it not until we got into it, but we can be sure to make it affordable if we choose the right and less expensive hospital for the treatment.

[wajik-tempe]

Some Americans may not have insurance coverage or have limited coverage, making medical treatment in the United States unaffordable. In contrast, medical procedures and treatments can be much more affordable in Mexico. Also another reason could be mexico is known for offering alternative treatments that may not be available in the United States. These treatments may include holistic and traditional medicine, which some patients prefer over Western medicine.

[sunsilk]

It is not just them but also other nations and nationalities goes to another country and continent for medical tourism. Wherever is the need they need to have, they'll go there just like those tourists that are going for cheap gadgets and other stuff, this isn't really something new.

Like in South East Asian countries, there goes Thailand where those tourists that wants to have themselves sex changed, they go there because it's cheaper there and that's the same with Americans going South for their medical needs and wants to cut a lot of cost for their medical bills.

[pooya87]

There is a joke going around that if you get a cold in US and visit a hospital you'd go bankrupt.

Ever since they infected US economy with capitalism, everything went south. From all the industries that went bankrupt and had to migrate overseas leaving millions unemployed and many homeless in America to every other service that got worse over time. Over all the quality of life in US has been going down every year for the past 40+ years.

Medical services is not an exception either. It slowly got more expensive and at the same time the quality of services dwindled. At this point it is safer to receive medical services elsewhere including Mexico than inside US not to mention that it is way cheaper.

[Rruchi man]

Is there any other reason why Americans go to Mexico for medical?

It will mostly not be for any other reason other than to cut cost. With the rising cost of things people seek alternatives that offer same quality but at a lesser price. The same behaviour can be observed even amongst people in my country who travel to neighbouring countries to book international flights because of the very high cost of international flights in my country. People usually go through extra stress when they know it is cost beneficial especially when they see no particular difference between the services offered by the two parties in comparison with one having a higher cost than the other.

[uneng]

It would be nice to hear from someone who is from USA if it is legit and if it is really happening in considerable scale, because there have always been a lot of negative propaganda about US in order to defame the country's image launched by its foreigners rivals with tendencies to leftist policies, so it's not the kind of thing which looks credible at first glance. And in case medical treatments in Mexico are much cheaper, someone must ask himself what is the reason for that, which looks pretty suspicious in every csses, right?

[Smartprofit]

I read on the Internet that even in the UK there are not enough good doctors. 

At the same time, Great Britain (Foggy Albion) is famous as a country with a very high standard of living.  There are not many highly qualified doctors. 

At present, rich people, representatives of the world elite, are provided with very qualified medical care.  In some cases, modern medicine works wonders. 

However, there are 8 billion people in the world.  It is not easy to organize a stable functioning system for the provision of quality medical services.  So I'm not surprised by the news that some US states have failed to do so.  It is likely that medical services in these areas are either too expensive or of insufficient quality. 

That is why some Americans prefer to travel to Mexico for treatment.  This is common practice.  This is called medical tourism.

[South Park]

The recent kidnapping of four Americans exposed me to the medical tourism going on in America. I have always thought that the US was a perfect country has very functional health, economic, and political systems. I thought all Americans have access to cheap and quality medical services until I read that over one million Americans go on medical tourism in Mexico yearly.

And the reason why some of them choose Mexico was because of its quality and low cost. These medical tourists are aware that it is risky to do to some parts of Mexico, but they still go there because they want to cut costs.
Is there any other reason why Americans go to Mexico for medical?

The healthcare on the US is very expensive to the point that if you are going to have to go through a major procedure and you are in the conditions to travel to other countries like Mexico or Brazil many US citizens prefer to take their chances and go to those countries, and then an event like the one we watched recently can unfold, and while this has opened a debate about the dangers of going to Mexico, this tragedy also needs to open a debate about a healthcare system which is forcing the people they are supposed to serve to go to those countries to begin with.

[Findingnemo]

Medical tourism exists everywhere and we can't pin point any particular country and say every citizen has the accessibility to highest tier medical assistance irrespective of their financial status and these stats about country and how much they spend is an average value but it can't be realistic when it comes to individual.

[Hispo]

It is not only about medical costs, since the pandemic began I have also seen some news on Americans going to Mexico so they can get cheaper gasoline. There is a brief documentary film of a couple who decided to move from California to Mexico, because both the food and a home was more affordable for them (since they worked online).

I wonder how the average American manages to do all these things, keeping in mind the language barrier and the culture.

[|MINER|]

In developed countries like America you can survive well as long as your income is good. Although these countries are technologically more advanced than other countries, you also need to be financially stable to avail these services. And currently, the energy crisis caused by the war between Russia and Ukraine has increased the cost of all services around the world.  In this case, the low-income people in every country are unable to adapt, so most people try to find alternative ways. In this case too I think this point has been repeated.

[Iroh]

The recent kidnapping of four Americans exposed me to the medical tourism going on in America. I have always thought that the US was a perfect country has very functional health, economic, and political systems. I thought all Americans have access to cheap and quality medical services until I read that over one million Americans go on medical tourism in Mexico yearly.

Well, you obviously thought wrong. No country is perfect and all Americans doesn’t have access to cheap nor quality medical health care service. Americans travel all over for health care services not cause they offer better services but they offer cheaper services that can’t be gotten back at home.
Medical tourism happens everywhere and people from so called developed nations travel out to seek cheaper but not necessarily better healthcare

[Hydrogen]

And the reason why some of them choose Mexico was because of its quality and low cost. These medical tourists are aware that it is risky to do to some parts of Mexico, but they still go there because they want to cut costs.
Is there any other reason why Americans go to Mexico for medical?

Purely cosmetic procedures like butt lifts and breast augmentation are another known reason for americans seeking medical services abroad.

Dentistry is another known example.

There is a potential for cross border business opportunities as well. Texans have travelled to mexico to buy cars, trucks and other equipment at low cost. Which they would haul into the united states to resell with a prick markup in a practice resembling arbitrage trading. Is one common practice, I have heard of.

While it may not make news headlines often. For those who live near to the border and have easy access, it could be a way of life.

[GiftedMAN]

The recent kidnapping of four Americans exposed me to the medical tourism going on in America. I have always thought that the US was a perfect country has very functional health, economic, and political systems. I thought all Americans have access to cheap and quality medical services until I read that over one million Americans go on medical tourism in Mexico yearly.

Well, you obviously thought wrong. No country is perfect and all Americans doesn’t have access to cheap nor quality medical health care service. Americans travel all over for health care services not cause they offer better services but they offer cheaper services that can’t be gotten back at home.
Medical tourism happens everywhere and people from so called developed nations travel out to seek cheaper but not necessarily better healthcare

It is just too obvious that Americans will prefer going to Mexico for healthcare than staying there because healthcare services is very cost in America. We know that American government would rather prefer to spend money of weapons and military than that of an healthcare. That is why many foreigners that need healthcare services would prefer to go to other countries like Germany, India and the rest than to have healthcare services in the country. It is not that the healthcare services is poor but too expensive for a common man.

[doomloop]

I believe that bearing costs is the reason why a person prefers one country over another. Good medical care will not be free, and then you may not be able to afford it, especially for individuals in the middle and poor classes. There are also consequences after the operation, such as care in the first months, medicines and other costs.

Also, some countries are better in certain disciplines, this chart may give you better information, although I am surprised at the reason for choosing Mexico, perhaps because of the flight costs)

Wait, what? I can't see The United States on that list. Does that mean that one of the most powerful nations and a very developed country spends less than 6.3% of its GDP on its healthcare systems? That's pretty surprising, and no wonder why people from there travel to neighboring countries for their medical necessities.

And I believe that it happens in almost every country where the lower classes who can at least travel go somewhere else to get proper treatment at less cost. Governments need to take good care of their healthcare systems more than they do right now.