Going to Mexico for Cheaper Medical Care

Example: Cataract Surgery Costs Per Eye
$900 in Mexico
$3,600-$6,000 in the U.S.

Reader Question: Can you tell me about health care for Americans in Baja California or the surrounding areas? Is there decent health care for citizens?

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Manny's Answer: For health care, Mexican doctors and hospitals are comparable to the U.S. except that the services are about 90% cheaper. Many Americans go to Mexico specifically for health care, especially things like dental work or elective surgery.

A friend of ours just had cataract eye surgery done in Cancun for less than 1/3 of the cost that the procedure in the U.S. They got a nice vacation out of it, and it was still cheaper than their yearly out-of-pocket. This is the example that we have listed above. In our friend's case (we'll call him Robert), he needed cataract surgery in both eyes, and was quoted almost $10,000 out-of-pocket in the U.S. The cost in Mexico was less than $2,000 for the procedure and the follow-up, and they Robert and his wife stayed in a very nice hotel and enjoyed a long, relaxing vacation, which incidentally cost a lot less than $10K. 

In our own personal example, we have a "local" doctor in our Mexican town. She is a general practitioner that sees all ages, and also prescribes medications. She doesn't do any surgery that we are aware of. The cost of an average office visit is 200 pesos, or about $12 U.S. dollars. Last year, I was in the U.S. on business and unfortunately came down with a cold. I went to an urgent care clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fee to see a doctor was $160 U.S. dollars, they wouldn't prescribe antibiotics or give me an injection, and the doctor sent me home and told me to take some Tylenol and get some rest. I HAD to work, that's the whole reason I was in Vegas. He spoke to me for less than 5 minutes. That's what I paid almost $200 for. 

I honestly wanted to scream.

As soon as I got back to Mexico, I saw a doctor, got an antibiotic and felt better in less than a week. The visit to the Mexican doctor, INCLUDING the antibiotic, was about $350 pesos, or $20 U.S. dollars (at the current exchange rate). 

NEVER AGAIN will I go to a doctor in the U.S. unless I am literally dying. 

We suggest going down and exploring and asking the locals for their recommendations.

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