Health Care in San Miguel de Allende

Q: What kind of medical care can I expect, and how much will it cost?

A: The quality of the medical care one receives is a very personal matter, but generally speaking, you should find that Mexico offers easily accessible, high-quality healthcare at very ‘budget-friendly’ rates.

On a practical level, San Miguel has two small hospitals, one publicly and one privately administered, both complete with modern equipment and 24-hour emergency rooms. There are also a number of specialists, in areas from cardiology, ophthalmology or orthopedics to cosmetic surgery, either affiliated with the hospitals or available locally for private consultation. More importantly, San Miguel’s central location is close to the excellent facilities available in Querétaro, Guadalajara or Mexico City; where one can receive advanced medical attention within a few hours. Contrary to the misconceptions or fears of travelers, Mexico’s doctors generally receive excellent medical training (and many have gone on to receive further education in the United States, Canada or Europe) and a number of Mexico’s hospitals rank among the finest in the world.

Secondly, healthcare in Mexico is not ‘industrialized’ to the extent that it is north of the border. That means that you can generally get an appointment with a doctor, even a specialist, within a few days (or a few hours if it is important), expect the doctor take the time to listen carefully to your complaints and explain what will happen next, get lab results back as soon as the tests are done and have control over your own medical records. Mexican doctors even make house calls and give you their cell phone numbers in case you need them.

And all this is but a fraction of the cost you would pay elsewhere. Everything from consultations, lab tests and prescription drugs cost roughly 50% less in Mexico. Surgical procedures generally run 35% less, while hospital stays or medications can be a whopping 70% less costly.

This professionalism, care and savings also extends further than the doctors office. Afterall, the availability of easily accessible and affordable dental services, optometrists or therapists can be just as important to your comfort and wellbeing. You can also find competent and professional live-in, 24-hour care available for a fraction of the price you might pay elsewhere, allowing a greater independence.

Your own medical insurance may cover your costs in Mexico, but Medicare will not and Canadian government plans, such as OHIP, offer only limited coverage. If you require further insurance, there are a number of local agents that can provide coverage through internationally recognized insurers.

Medical tourism is not new, for years countries such as Thailand, India and Brazil have lured patients in search of elective or alternative treatments that were beyond their budgets back home. What is new, is that todays ‘medical tourist’ is not travelling for face-lifts or tummy tucks but for life-threatening ailments and serious medical procedures that may otherwise be beyond their reach. “Mexican hospitals now perform hip replacements, spinal fusions, knee surgery and angioplasty.” reported Bloomberg.com, and went on to say, “A hip replacement in Mexico costs $12,000, compared with $43,000 to $63,000 in the U.S.”

And in another new development, the Mexican Government has decided to join the business: “A million baby boomers, as they are called in the US, could come to live in Mexico in the coming years,” said Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos in February of 2010. An opportunity exists, Cordova said, for tourism promoters to sell not only sun and sand but also “treatments or surgeries.”