Dubai Telegraph - Medical tourism in spotlight after Mexico kidnapping

EUR -
AED 3.8756
AFN 72.200575
ALL 98.139539
AMD 411.532283
ANG 1.916419
AOA 962.319203
ARS 1053.188708
AUD 1.630218
AWG 1.899315
AZN 1.784231
BAM 1.955003
BBD 2.146925
BDT 127.068214
BGN 1.956891
BHD 0.397718
BIF 3140.020304
BMD 1.055175
BND 1.421121
BOB 7.348005
BRL 6.129194
BSD 1.063362
BTN 89.676253
BWP 14.428257
BYN 3.479882
BYR 20681.429409
BZD 2.143327
CAD 1.478495
CDF 3023.076626
CHF 0.936043
CLF 0.037472
CLP 1033.976525
CNY 7.638303
CNH 7.648689
COP 4726.12869
CRC 542.978712
CUC 1.055175
CUP 27.962137
CVE 110.22008
CZK 25.288011
DJF 189.351934
DKK 7.458214
DOP 64.043899
DZD 141.622416
EGP 52.009895
ERN 15.827625
ETB 129.779309
FJD 2.40258
FKP 0.83167
GBP 0.831235
GEL 2.880458
GGP 0.83167
GHS 17.173001
GIP 0.83167
GMD 74.917819
GNF 9164.265159
GTQ 8.216651
GYD 222.469334
HKD 8.212268
HNL 26.846059
HRK 7.526869
HTG 139.81302
HUF 408.163026
IDR 16774.7496
ILS 3.959224
IMP 0.83167
INR 89.068533
IQD 1392.932319
IRR 44414.948032
ISK 147.313122
JEP 0.83167
JMD 168.341393
JOD 0.748221
JPY 164.500191
KES 136.329796
KGS 90.952195
KHR 4308.244201
KMF 492.080753
KPW 949.658078
KRW 1481.418127
KWD 0.324772
KYD 0.886139
KZT 524.106404
LAK 23352.482837
LBP 95221.093219
LKR 310.793338
LRD 200.438313
LSL 19.102015
LTL 3.115657
LVL 0.638265
LYD 5.151876
MAD 10.572991
MDL 19.161191
MGA 4961.977776
MKD 61.584316
MMK 3427.167142
MNT 3585.4848
MOP 8.519528
MRU 42.330748
MUR 50.047248
MVR 16.302766
MWK 1843.848551
MXN 21.712439
MYR 4.735102
MZN 67.423993
NAD 19.102015
NGN 1777.041223
NIO 39.134051
NOK 11.764987
NPR 143.481165
NZD 1.799094
OMR 0.406253
PAB 1.063367
PEN 4.030158
PGK 4.274258
PHP 62.064863
PKR 295.443194
PLN 4.34422
PYG 8298.578641
QAR 3.87682
RON 4.97705
RSD 116.980897
RUB 103.919035
RWF 1459.505187
SAR 3.964662
SBD 8.846117
SCR 14.382386
SDG 634.688134
SEK 11.596378
SGD 1.419896
SHP 0.83167
SLE 24.073878
SLL 22126.461188
SOS 607.652355
SRD 37.226828
STD 21839.991486
SVC 9.304208
SYP 2651.158922
SZL 19.108032
THB 36.972803
TJS 11.329783
TMT 3.703664
TND 3.346836
TOP 2.471323
TRY 36.237853
TTD 7.226055
TWD 34.365466
TZS 2801.489873
UAH 43.929697
UGX 3902.409597
USD 1.055175
UYU 44.831729
UZS 13603.455994
VES 47.479192
VND 26796.168359
VUV 125.272516
WST 2.950778
XAF 655.689778
XAG 0.035082
XAU 0.000412
XCD 2.851663
XDR 0.801074
XOF 655.686672
XPF 119.331742
YER 263.580476
ZAR 19.275884
ZMK 9497.834156
ZMW 29.087146
ZWL 339.76591
  • CMSD

    -0.0200

    24.73

    -0.08%

  • CMSC

    0.0700

    24.61

    +0.28%

  • RBGPF

    59.2500

    59.25

    +100%

  • SCS

    -0.3000

    13.37

    -2.24%

  • NGG

    -0.7800

    62.12

    -1.26%

  • BCE

    -0.4800

    27.21

    -1.76%

  • BCC

    1.4200

    142.55

    +1%

  • RIO

    -0.5800

    60.62

    -0.96%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0400

    7.07

    -0.57%

  • RELX

    -0.4700

    46.12

    -1.02%

  • VOD

    0.2800

    8.75

    +3.2%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.24

    +0.15%

  • AZN

    0.1000

    65.29

    +0.15%

  • GSK

    -0.4100

    35.11

    -1.17%

  • BP

    0.4100

    28.57

    +1.44%

  • BTI

    0.1800

    35.42

    +0.51%

Medical tourism in spotlight after Mexico kidnapping
Medical tourism in spotlight after Mexico kidnapping / Photo: GUILLERMO ARIAS - AFP/File

Medical tourism in spotlight after Mexico kidnapping

As reports swirl around the recent kidnapping in Mexico of four Americans, two of whom were killed, one detail has drawn particular attention -- they had crossed the border for a medical procedure.

Text size:

The revelation threw a spotlight on the steady stream of so-called medical tourism from the United States to its southern neighbor, as Americans cross the border seeking lower costs or treatments inaccessible at home, despite the risks -- including that of going to a country known for drug-related violence.

Americans make the trip for everything from dental work to cosmetic surgery to treatment for cancer.

The industry in Mexico has grown steadily in the past two decades, with a lull during the Covid-19 pandemic, and was valued at a little over $5 billion in 2018, according to the state-owned National Exterior Commerce Bank.

Mexico is now one of the top medical tourism destinations in the world, though the country has had to contend with a negative image associated with entrenched organized crime and cartel-related violence.

But risks associated with medical tourism are more often linked to substandard care if one is not careful in selecting a provider than "political or social violence," said Josef Woodman, CEO of international health care consulting company Patients Beyond Borders, told AFP. "That is so rare in our community."

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also warns of potentially poor quality of care as a medical tourism risk, along with infection and difficulty communicating with staff.

Tamaulipas state, where the four Americans crossed into the crime-plagued city of Matamoros, is one of the Mexican states most affected by crime. The US State Department advises citizens to avoid the region entirely, citing kidnapping as one danger.

But it is not a state particularly popular for medical tourism, said Woodman, as it lacks the medical infrastructure other areas have cultivated.

And far from being discouraged by the grisly news, Woodman said his organization's inbox has been "deluged over the past 36 hours" by requests from individuals interested in travelling for procedures.

Just a few days ago, Colorado retiree Amber O'Hara recommended to a friend the dental clinic in Mexico where she has traveled multiple times for treatment.

"The cost is why I go," O'Hara said, noting, however, that the care was also top notch.

"I felt very comfortable and confident in all aspects of treatment and will definitely go again when needed," she told AFP.

Her dentist is in the town of Los Algodones, nicknamed "Molar City" for its wide array of dental offices catering to foreigners.

It is snug against the Arizona border, on the other side of the country from Matamoros, which O'Hara said she would avoid, as "there have been more than one bad situation there."

- 'Prohibitive' cost -

She is one of 1.2 million Americans that Patients Without Borders estimates travel to Mexico for healthcare annually.

Dental treatment is one of the most commonly sought procedures, according to the CDC, along with "surgery, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments, organ and tissue transplantation, and cancer treatment."

Woodman said surgeries to control weight not covered by a patient's insurance are common goals among Americans traveling to Mexico.

Getting "unavailable or unapproved" procedures is a top reason for going abroad, according to the CDC, which also highlights lower costs -- averaging at 40-60 percent cheaper for Americans in Mexico, according to Woodman -- as a major driver.

A 2020 study that surveyed more than 400 people crossing the US–Mexico border found 92 percent cited cost as a key factor in choosing medical tourism.

"In the US, we have the most expensive healthcare system on the planet," said Elizabeth Ziemba, president of training and consulting group Medical Tourism Training.

"The possibility of having to spend a great deal of money to access health care in the US is prohibitive for some people so they look at other cost effective alternatives."

But, she added, when looking abroad it's crucial to research thoroughly the healthcare provider, as well as the destination, as substandard care often comes with an enticing price tag.

"I encourage people to really do their homework."

T.Jamil--DT