Mexico's health care lures Americans (Thousands)

[kpete]

Source: USA Today

MEXICO CITY — It sounds almost too good to be true: a health care plan with no limits, no deductibles, free medicines, tests, X-rays, eyeglasses, even dental work — all for a flat fee of $250 or less a year.

To get it, you just have to move to Mexico.

As the United States debates an overhaul of its health care system, thousands of American retirees in Mexico have quietly found a solution of their own, signing up for the health care plan run by the Mexican Social Security Institute.

The system has flaws, the facilities aren't cutting-edge, and the deal may not last long because the Mexican government said in a recent report that it is "notorious" for losing money. But for now, retirees say they're getting a bargain.

"It was one of the primary reasons I moved here," said Judy Harvey of Prescott Valley, who now lives in Alamos, Sonora. "I couldn't afford health care in the United States. … To me, this is the best system that there is."

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-08-31-mexico-health-care_N.htm

[Deep13]

1. marking for future reference nt

[2manycats8]

50. better deal

fly into yuma arizona, rent a car to the new Quechan tribe casino, which is a city unto itself. rent a room, play, gamble, swim, enjoy. just 1/8 of mile south on same road is the algondones port of entry into mexico. get all your dental work done, they will do all the bottom work and the next day all the top work. cost of crown 220, cost of root canal 250. i had 2 crowns, one filling and root canal for 650. i know it does not add up but i was not complaining. they use state of the art. i was always afraid of pain and it was a breeze. i even volunteered to go and get more work done. now i lived in yuma but for the cost work in the u.s., you can get a vacation and have money left over. my husband had an abscess on his back. he went to a doctor in algondones who numbed the area, drained the abscess and gave him a prescription-----cost 30. many of these doctors and dentists trained in the u.s.. oh, eyeglasses. you can get exam, 2 pair of designer frames with tinting for under 300. these are really designer frames, the best i have ever had and the best eye exam. the only bad part of this is you have to stand in line a long time to get back across the border

[girl gone mad]

68. My kooky RW aunt and uncle go to Mexico for treatment..

and prescriptions.

As you might guess, they've been protesting "socialized medicine" at town halls this summer. :crazy:

[Lucky Luciano]

75. LOL! nt

[marshall]

87. Didn't Priscilla Presley have her face done down there?

Injections of silicon literally froze the youth onto her face.

[mac56]

2. Right wingers' heads must be exploding from the irony.

Imagine! US residents, jumping across the border for the superior benefits?! Why.. why.. they're jumping the wrong way!!!!

:sarcasm:

[Bluenorthwest]

3. And the food is fantastic!

Time to go South!

[Dreamer Tatum]

4. Seems like the least Mexico can do

when every single day you stand a decent chance of getting your head blown off in the crossfire between drug gangs.

I think there is more to having a satisfactory existence than just affordable access to healthcare.

[redqueen]

6. You think the entire country is like that?

Really?

[Dreamer Tatum]

14. It was a tad tongue-in-cheek nt

[BonnieJW]

21. A lot of it is.

The second largest industry in Mexico is kidnapping. My dear friend is from Mexico City and her family still lives there. Mexico is trying to outlaw Facebook because criminals in Mexico scan it to see who is on vacation (robbery), who seems affluent (robbery, kidnapping, etc. They may have great health care plans, but living in Mexico has its price.

[Posteritatis]

29. I disbelieve

I can't use Facebook to determine if some random person I don't know and am not connected to at all on-site is on vacation or not.

[kpete]

8. Sorry

Much of my family lives in Mexico City and surrounding areas, they are terrified when they visit us in USA - they will NOT drink the water and they certainly would NOT use our health services.

As far as getting their heads blown off - my family all STILL have their heads intact,

peace, kp

[Dreamer Tatum]

16. Oh please

I'd put N. Poway tap water against Mexico City tap any day of the week.

[NJCher]

20. no, you "please"

Poway?

LOL

Cher

[kpete]

36. there is

NO

water in N. Poway

kp

[KansDem]

38. Sure there is...

They import it from Santee! ;)

(former resident of El Cajon/La Mesa/San Diego here...:D)

[Dreamer Tatum]

90. Is it Lake Poway, or Lake Suffleupagus?

Am I the only one who can see it, or are you the only one who can't?

[Dora]

11. Drug violence is a regional phenomenon.

Get a grip.

[jberryhill]

15. There are places in the US where you wouldn't want to live either...

The fact that there are high crime areas in either the US or Mexico is hardly an indication that either country is in any sense generally dangerous.

[Seedersandleechers]

43. Yes indeed!

I live in downtown Kansas City, Mo, and got kidnapped and car jacked just two blocks east of where I live. It can be bad anywhere, in any city.

[defendandprotect]

78. Poverty breeds crime . . . Phoney War on Drugs doesn't help, either . . .!!!

[dhpgetsit]

18. Have you ever been to Mexico?

True they have a terrible problem with organized crime and corruption. But it's not a dramatic as the media likes to report. Remember our corporate media is not news. It's eye candy, meant to distract you with sensationalism and controversy.

The least we could do for Mexico is craft a sensible drug policy that takes the profit out of drug smuggling.

[LuckyLib]

46. Mexico has suffered greatly from the US MSM portrayal of the country as

teeming with cartel crime and Swine Flu. It's a wonderful country.

[defendandprotect]

79. Right . . . one of the first things we should be asking is why is Mexico lending US money?

Why aren't they investing it in jobs for their own country?

Re Swine Flu --

Could we get some interest going in the circulation of filthy money everywhere?
I've never seen such decrepit and germ ridden dollar bills needing to be pulled!

How about MEN CONSTANTLY SPITTING!! What the hell is wrong with them?
It's a filthy, disease spreading habit -- seemingly taught to young boys by
our national athletes!!!

Also, how about some attention to those computer screens used in food stores?
Whole Foods uses them for customers to weigh/price bulk items -- you could get
leprosy from them! Other food stores do the same thing -- my Italian restaurant,
15 different people use the screens -- then they handle money -- and then some
of them work the pizza dough!!!

Damn!!!
:evilgrin:

PS: Apologize for my rant on reply to you -- !!!
:)

Ironically, I'm at the same time watching a guy on C-span 3 who is from
CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL . . . he's wiped his nose with his fingers about 5 times
in 10 second!!!

Knoury . . . he's the Public Health Genomics Director!!

[WinkyDink]

26. yeah, well, considering we stole the land in the first place....

[AlphaCentauri]

60. Another Alamo is on the way, one more gold rush era

then you know what, some Mexican states will become independant

[dmallind]

70. As in fairness did most of the Mexican population

Not too many indigenous Mexican natives in positions of power.

[kpete]

92. thank you

for pointing that out...kp

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. Yep when I go drink coffee with dad and mom

and get the groceries we also watch for cross country firefights.

:sarcasm:

[a la izquierda]

51. Oh jesus, spare me.

When was the last time you went to Mexico? Here's a shocker: I live there part time. Yes, the border is incredibly dangerous. But I spend a ton of time in a very large Mexican city and have not had any problems.
I just got back from Mexico City, Veracruz and Merida, and *gasp* I didn't get my head blown off or have to dodge bullets.

But when I did get sick, violently so, the doctors there were awesome. I got a good, thorough exam for $300MXN (about $27 at the time) and meds for another $100MXN.

Sorry, but FAIL of a post.

[EuroRant]

54. Dear Dreamer

Dear Dreamer (very appropriate)

Did you ever hear the saying ... "If you haven't got your health you haven't got nothing."

Due to medical costs one American family is going bankrupt every 30 minutes (no exaggeration) and one estimate even claims that actually this is happening every 15 minutes rather than every 30 minutes.

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/06/04/over.60.percent.all.us.bankruptcies.attributable.medical.problems

http://www.theseminal.com/2009/06/04/medical-bankruptcy-time-to-update-that-statistic/

http://www.everydayhealth.com/blog/trevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms/ms-money-matters-medical-bankruptcy/

and consider this latest phenomenon in the American HeathCare nightmare:
Americans are now divorcing as a last means to save families and/or spouses from claiming future bankruptcy claims or eating into their future retirement "nest egg":

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/opinion/30kristof.html?_r=2

As someone who has had more than my share of medical problems ... you will never understand what extremes you will go through to stay healthy and not go bankrupt. Nothing more I would love more than to live in America again but ...

[Laelth]

73. Welcome to DU.

:dem:

-Laelth

[mudplanet]

57. This sounds like "let them eat cake."

You've apparently never been really hungry, like your belly swollen up because you don't have anything to eat, or really sick and not had access to health care.

Things are fine for the upper middle class and the rich in America. I've got mine, fuck you (the reagan philosophy).

[redqueen]

5. K&R

How much evidence to fact-resistant Americans need?

[Xenotime]

7. Mexico has a wonderful medical system. I know several people who have gone there.

[Wizard777]

9. The Insurance and Health Care industries will want a war with Mexico now.

Oh yeah, that's right. They are for all intents and purposes at war with America over health care right now. Wow! Talk about picking you're battles badly. Who will save their obscene profits from Mexi-care?

[Dr.Phool]

10. Mexico is going to build a wall to keep Americans out!

Illegal aliens getting free health care on our dollars!

[kegler14]

28. Speaking of Mexico building a wall...

Mexico Builds Border Wall To Keep Out U.S. Assholes

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/mexico_builds_border_wall_to_keep

[arikara]

58. hahaha!

Too funny

[Wizard777]

12. Medicare meet Mexicare.

:pals:

[2Design]

13. marking n/t

[fascisthunter]

17. hahahahaha... FREE MARKET PATHOS

even a banana republic like Mexico has better health care.

[Bette Noir]

19. Darn. I was planning to retire to Oregon.

[Blue_Tires]

22. k+r

[LeftHandPath]

23. Scorpion sting while in PV last May...

One of our travel companions got stung on the foot walking across the bedroom. The local health clinic gave her a some anti-venom and a syringe for $10. Not having much effect, we took her the emergency room in Puerto Vallarta.

No line. In to see the doctor within 5 minutes. Out after an IV anti-venom in 20 minutes. Total cost - $55 and I was drinking Coronas again within the hour.

Was an amazing experience and made me wonder what we had done to have our health care system go so terribly wrong.

[PurgedVoter]

32. Sadly, we cannot have nice things.

We have a bunch of rough kids(Republicans) in the neighborhood (USA) who try to break anything nice the second they are not watched. Among those kids are sadly a few bomb throwing anarchists (Neocons) who would like nothing better than to destroy everything (or drown us in a bathtub.)
We have a hard time even discussing the problem due to fear of the gangs and the gang spokesmen. (Gun Toting tea baggers and Fox News)

[BREMPRO]

63. clever and point on analogy

we are getting robbed every day(by corporations,defense industry, neocons,health insurance and drug companies, republicans), and we just don't notice how bad it is because we've become so accustomed to it and are kept under the spell of corporate media control. The false promise of the lottery ticket and the get rich quick guru's keep us from rebelling. We are like the kidnapped child that comes to rely on their kidnapper. We are Munchhausen Nation.

[Kajsa]

69. Food poisoning in Cabo three years ago.

Spent the day at an ER, total of 10 hours with an IV, two doctors
and all medications-$900.

That would have come to $10,000. at an ER here.

My trip insurance( $25.00) paid for the total bill.

[subcomhd]

71. ultrasounds - $45

total cost of my son's birth (doctors, hospital, everything) $2,500.

[Kajsa]

93. Imagine what that would cost

here in the states.

:(

[subcomhd]

96. My daughter was born here,

but insurance paid for all of it, so I have no idea. I'm guessing 5-10 times that, though. That is about what the difference in medicine seems to be.

[Richd506]

24. oh the irony

[Vinca]

25. Maybe it's time to learn Spanish. nt

[WinkyDink]

Si, se puede!

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. Oh the irony

And truly to a point a case of the grass is greener.

Many wealthy Mexican come here for health care. While Retirees go down there for health care.

And no there are no shoot outs all over the country, just like there are no shootouts here all over the place.Jesus age, what is wrong with some people?

[redqueen]

34. Propaganda works... that's what is wrong with some people.

It is depressing.

[LuckyLib]

31. A friend passed out last month in a public place in a town in Mexico.

An ambulance was called, emergency room service involved 3 hours of monitoring (they determined it was altitude and lack of food/fluids). When she went to pay the bill, the staff member said, "No charge."

None. Zero. Zilch.

In the good ole US of A, a "wallet biopsy" is conducted to determine whether or not you have an ability to pay.

[schmuls]

33. ha ha! a "wallet biopsy". Too funny but too sad

[windbreeze]

39. Your insurance card please.....!!..."wallet biopsy"...good analogy

and oh so true...LOL...I am going to remember that one...wb

[LuckyLib]

47. Credit a Sopranos writer for that one -- made me laugh out loud.

[TommyPaine]

40. And sometimes they end up performing a total cashectomy

Which may take decades to recover from.

[unpossibles]

89. true, and this procedure is very invasive and often done through the rectum

It amazes me when people call our health care the best in the world.

[TommyPaine]

94. Even for those with unlimited resources it's hardly the best...

Overmedication, too many unnecessary procedures, high malpractice rate...were I wealthy I'd look elsewhere for care. 98% of us don't have much of a choice.

[unpossibles]

95. even more surprisingly, quite a few of those with no choice

Don't want a choice.

[nadinbrzezinski]

52. I know as a Red Cross Medic

the words.... how are you going to pay for this? Or What is your insurance...never, ever crossed my lips.

Good that she had a good service. If perchance this is the Red Cross, send them a donation, and I mean the Mexican Red Cross.

I worked for ten years. I still put my pesos every year when I go down there.

[Better Believe It]

35. K & R

[kevsters]

37. Dems cared more about Kennedy's vote than him?

Republicans like Sean Hannity will do and say anything to kill health care. Watch this video of Hannity and guest claiming that Democrats care more about Kennedy's vote than they do about Kennedy himself.

Just vulgar!

http://progressnotcongress.org/?p=2764

[Lost-in-FL]

41. VIVA FREE MARKET!!!!

VIVA LAISSEZ FAIR MF'rs!!!!!

[tinrobot]

42. Pretty soon they'll have their own "immigration" problem.

Except theirs will be 50+ year old Americans sneaking into the country looking for cheap health care.

[AlphaCentauri]

56. 50+ year olds who won't ever contribute to their economy

thats a real problem not like the young Mexican immigrants who are ready work in the US without benefits and rights

[GreenTea]

44. I know many if with a serious illness would move to Mexico in a heartbeat because they certainly

can't afford American insurance nor American medical cost....So many of the Mexican doctors were schooled in the US, Europe and elsewhere in some of the finest schools anywhere.

[pinto]

45. Lots of folks in CA routinely go to Mexico for dental care.

Quality work at affordable rates.

[timo]

48. yup

Texas too, all the old snow birds from up north go almost weekly and stock up on cheap meds and dental work, botox too, the local ups store is a real bitch on mondays because the old farts jam up the counters mailing boxes and boxes of meds back north!!!

[demosincebirth]

59. If I lived reasonably close to Mexico thats where I would get

my dental work done. If I had major work to have done, I would take a vacation there...like to Puerto Vallarta...sigh.

[AlphaCentauri]

61. just wonder how many of those are re-pugs?

who oppose free health care

[subcomhd]

49. Yep. I knew about it but didn't take advantage of it when I lived there because

we had a clinic on site where I worked and doctors visits where so cheap if I needed one on the weekends. My blood pressure meds cost about a a fifth of what they do here.

[laughingliberal]

53. Certainly has my brain working

My husband and I have been without insurance since November. Will have to start looking into this. It's a horror for me, who always thought I had been born in the greatest country on earth, to be waking up every day wishing I had been born anywhere but here.

[AlphaCentauri]

55. UNRECOMMENDED Mexicans can't be better than Americans

:sarcasm:

[lumberjack_jeff]

62. Distress! Cognitive dissonance!

Affordable healthcare! Mexico is a progressive's dream!

But wait...

... if that's true then The Honest, Hardworking Folks, Simply Seeking a Better Life © snea... errr "Immigrating" here from Mexico can't really be fleeing a totalitarian shithole. What's a good progressive supposed to think?

[ScottLand]

64. This is one of those things a Repug

would just REFUSE to believe. It's gotta be a liberal trick!

[Zorra]

65. I get my dental work done in Mexico. It's very high quality, and it is usually less expensive

than my dentist in the US - even though I have dental insurance.

[Christa]

66. K & R nt

[jillan]

67. I remember my dad telling me about a friend of his went to Mexico for a root canal and it cost $200

that's it! No problems whatsoever - just $1000 cheaper than what we pay.

[subcomhd]

72. teeth whitening is about 200 bucks too. nt

[underpants]

74. Thousands cross the border to get healthcare!!!

just emailed it to my mom - she sends me RW stuff all the time (no idea what happened to her :silly: )

[ConcernedCanuk]

76. Imagine that - better health care from Mexico, Canada and Cuba

.
.
.

BUT WAIT A MINUTE!

USA's got the biggest War-Machine on the planet . . .

y'all gotta sacrifice sumthing for that . .

[Skittles]

77. you could not pay me to live in Mexico

[mudplanet]

81. Have you ever been to Mexico?

Someplace other than Cancun or the border?

Outside of Manhattan and Chicago, Mexico City makes every US city look provincial. It's amazing. Miles and miles of some of the most amazing buildings you've ever seen. A clean, amazing subway, too.

Go and spend a month or two in Guanajuato. The food, the architecture, the people.

But more than anything, it's the Mexican approach to life. It's to be lived and enjoyed. Mexican cities have large flower markets. A street blocked off full of flowers!

I haven't been to South America, but in the north, Mexico is the only country with its own cuisine.

Most importantly, Mexico has a long history of the people not taking shit. You can only push Mexicans so far, and then they push back. There has been some CIA meddling in Mexican affairs, but overall, Mexico has a strong history of telling the Gringo to go fuck himself. Castro was able to stage the revolution out of Mexico. The Sandanistas and the FMLN (and I'm sure the Guatemalan revolutionaries) all maintained offices in Mexico City and were able to do a considerable amount of support work from that base. Between the 1950's and 1990's the Mexican's were the only good guys in the Americas.

When Mexicans get fed up with an injustice, a thousand of them will gather and walk hundreds of miles to the capital city and camp there until they get some action. Mexican's have principles, and they aren't afraid to sacrifice for them.

Tropical beaches. Forested mountains. Broad plains. High deserts.

Good universities, too.

Generally speaking, good people. After traveling in and about Mexico for over a decade, my impression of the average Mexican is smart and tough.

You'd never live in Mexico? So who asked you to?

[Skittles]

83. YES I HAVE BEEN TO MEXICO

MANY, MANY TIMES (work / vacation - including 9 week TDY in Mexico City) - here's an idea: STOP MAKING ASSUMPTIONS - I don't care for Mexico, would not live there - is there no place on this fucking earth you would not want to live?

[Webster Green]

82. Heh!...You live in fucking Texas.

Easily one of the worst shit-holes on the planet. :rofl:

[Skittles]

84. I agree with THAT

I am not a native Texan who thinks Texas shit don't stink

[Name removed]

85. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DesertDiamond]

80. Americans go the Mexico not only for affordability, but for alternative treatments

[JeanGrey]

86. Yes I had a friend with cancer and it was only stage one

when discovered who decided he didn't want chemo, and went to Mexico for "experimental" vaccine treatment. I tried everything to talk him out of it. No go. He died six months later. Had he tried conventional treatment he'd probably be alive since he was stage 1......

[SteveM]

88. I'll make the Mexican government an offer to help us both out...

I'll pay $500 a year for the health care -- and cover my transportation and stay -- if they say I don't have to move to Mexico. It helps the government's finances (by 100%), and gives me something I cannot by any stretch of the imagination obtain here. Fair enough?
In fact, I'll make that "times two" offer to ANY government which has an adequate health care system.

[bat country]

91. The problem with that

is that millions of impoverished mexicans do not have access to health care and and influx of Americans would worsen that situation. (see http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Mexico.pdf, "Mexico lags well behind other OCED countries in helath status and health care availability.") The solution to the problems in the American system is not to overwhelm the Mexican system, causing Mexico's own citizens to be further deprived of health care.