Checking Out and Using Medical Care in Mexico

Americans planning to live in Mexico part-time or year-around typically arrive with questions about health care here. In my eight years in a small Mexican city, I have learned that, just as in the United States, the large regional centers are likely to have the best facilities for dealing with uncommon conditions. I know Americans who have had appendectomies or been hospitalized for dehydration in my city but in some circumstances I would choose one of two larger hospitals in the neighboring city.

I did so when I wanted to arrange for stereotactic imaging, a technique for diagnosing breast cancer commonly used in the United States instead of a more invasive and expensive biopsy. The radiologist who performed the imaging and interpreted the results had had a year of training in Albuquerque. But a word of caution. Before I reached the imaging facility, I encountered three different specialists who advised me I needed an invasive and expensive biopsy. Reading about the radiological technique on the internet and making a phone call finally got me to what I wanted.

Although hospital-based infections can occur in the United States, my personal opinion is that hospitals in Mexico are more risky. Partly for this reason I decided to retain my Medicare coverage and used it when I needed surgery on my parathyroid gland, a type of surgery isn't done often enough in Mexico for surgeons here to gain the experience of his counterpart in a major American medical center.I also expect to go to the U.S. for cataract surgery, although the technique is common in Mexico, because I have two complicating eye conditions that I only learned about on a visit to the US.