Seniors Head to Mexico For Treatment

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2007

Mexico is very beautiful, wow what a life, even with peeling paint and all. Only thing is I'd miss my family back home and I hope to work to the very end...but that is only a dream.

Regarding this affecting the nursing home industry in the states, I doubt it will have any true effect. People will miss the states and their families.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Aug 21, 2007

"Mexican entrepreneurs are doing their best to prepare for a tide of Americans."

I found this statement to be a little ironic.

"For medical care, Slater relies on the Mexican Social Security Institute, or IMSS, which runs clinics and hospitals nationwide and allows foreigners to enroll in its program even if they never worked in Mexico or paid taxes to support the system. He recently had gallbladder surgery in an IMSS hospital in Guadalajara, and he paid nothing."

Also ironic, considering the squawk about people (especially illegal immigrants) here suckling off the government bosom without ever having paid into it.

Interesting article. Our dollars go a lot farther there -- the exchange rate is currently about 10pesos/1 USD. And there is good care to be had, if you can pay for it. A lot of Mexican nationals can't, but someone with even a modest income by US standards probably could. DH and I have often thought about retiring to Mexico or somewhere in Latin America when the time comes. He is Mexican, so it would make things a little less complicated.

woody62, RN · Aug 22, 2007

Mexico is like any other country who has a lower standard of living, a lower standard of pay, some will make out, most will not. You have to remember the standards are different. The levels of education are different. And most importantly, when their system gets tired of paying for our care, things will change.

Woody:balloons:

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Aug 22, 2007

I hear you can buy so many meds over the counter there. narcotics, steroids, viagra, antibiotics.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Aug 22, 2007

One of my recent patients was a female who was recovering from a very botched gastric bypass procedure that she had received in Mexico. She told me that she traveled to Mexico for the procedure because it would be significantly "cheaper" than here in the US. After the surgical procedure she suffered from postop sepsis, peritonitis, evisceration, and other multiple complications.

However, she did lose 70 pounds in 4 months, so I suppose she got her money's worth!

We get what we pay for. . .

CHATSDALE · Aug 22, 2007

i was checking out a lap band procedure on the net about the cost of a procedure was about 1/4 of what it is here..what you would do for f/u i don't know

i know that f/u is very important with this type of thing so i didn't persue it

on the plus side is there ae jobs available there it would cut down n the illegals

Soup Turtle · Aug 22, 2007

One of my recent patients was a female who was recovering from a very botched gastric bypass procedure that she had received in Mexico. She told me that she traveled to Mexico for the procedure because it would be significantly "cheaper" than here in the US. After the surgical procedure she suffered from postop sepsis, peritonitis, evisceration, and other multiple complications.
However, she did lose 70 pounds in 4 months, so I suppose she got her money's worth!
We get what we pay for. . .

I think things can go wrong on either side of the border. I've had cosmetic surgery in Mexico and my experience was very good AND very affordable.

fleur-de-lis, BSN, RN · Aug 22, 2007

I have family who lives in close to Brownsville Texas, just minutes from the border and literally everyone who lives down there goes into Mexico for their dental work and prescription meds (yep, you can get almost anything OTC without a script). These people live on a golf course - they can easily afford their meds and regular dental work! Makes me nervous though, I would not buy aspirin there much less something stronger that you have no idea what is really in it!

indigo girl · Aug 22, 2007

If you know what you are looking for, you can get it safely and relatively inexpensively.

Many of those doctors are educated in the USA. There are many seminars where things such as safe and less expensive health care are discussed for the sometimes very wealthy folks that are considering expatriating to live more affordably outside the USA.

There are many expatriate communities in Mexico, Central and South American countries where American retirees are headed. Some of these countries cater to them for the wealth that they will be bringing with them to live on. These folks expect good and safe service from their health care providers, and they get it.

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Aug 22, 2007

If you know what you are looking for, you can get it safely and relatively inexpensively.
Many of those doctors are educated in the USA. There are many seminars where things such as safe and less expensive health care are discussed for the sometimes very wealthy folks that are considering expatriating to live more affordably outside the USA.
There are many expatriate communities in Mexico, Central and South American countries where American retirees are headed. Some of these countries cater to them for the wealth that they will be bringing with them to live on. These folks expect good and safe service from their health care providers, and they get it.

Also some good mediterranean comunities also