In the last few weeks, I've heard people around me having conversations about going to Mexico for health and dental care because the costs are so much lower than they are here – even in some cases – cheaper than co-pays, I understand.
One conversation was at work, after I'd brought my Zenni Optical glasses to the office to show coworkers, in case they could use a resource like Zenni. One of our managers brought a vendor to my office, and asked to look at the Zenni glasses. The vendor was impressed, and said he'd paid $160 for his glasses down in Mexico not too long ago, but he would have spent over $300 in the states. They proceeded to have a conversation for about 15 minutes about the dentist this guy goes to in Mexico, and how his parents (the vendor is at least 60) have gone to this dentist for 15 years. The manager talked about considering having an implant done (for one of his front teeth), how he was looking at $7000 in the states, and wondered what it would cost in Mexico. The vendor described the area he goes to (immediately south of the border) and said he wouldn't go any further than the first four streets, and he said he'd never go down to the town square. He said the dentists were all board certified in the US, so they were legitimate dentists.
Another conversation was at church, where two couples were talking about getting glasses, and having dental work done. One couple was just down there right at the beginning of the Swine Flu scare. So far they have not had any symptoms, but the wife did complain about the pain she experienced while having her dental work done.
I don't remember the other conversations but there were at least one or two more.
I seem to be surrounded by it.
I personally don't like the thought of it. I know people go to Mexico to vacation all the time and think it's great, but I guess I've seen too many movies to feel comfortable going south of the border.
I suppose if you were dirt poor and had no insurance and your teeth were killing you, but you could round up enough money for a passport and vaccinations, it might be your only and last resort to live without pain.
I hardly go to the doctor or dentist here if I can help it, choosing alternative care when possible.
Now, if Mexico had board certified naturopaths and homeopaths, I might consider that. But I don't “do” vaccinations, which I've heard you need to cross into other countries (maybe Mexico doesn't care?) so that would probably stop me dead in my tracks.
What about you? Would you go to Mexico to save money on health and dental care?
Mrs. Accountability
I have a friend who got her boobs done in Brazil because they have the best and cheapest doctors. That said, people I know, even with lots of family and connections in Mexico, don’t get much health care in Mexico. They might get the odd drug here or there. Personally, I would never get dental work in Mexico.
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Mrs. Accountability Reply:
May 18th, 2009 at 5:55 am
Yeesh… I don’t know how people go under the knife for cosmetic purposes. I have a hard enough time going to the dentist. And at this point in time, I would not take a chance on using a dentist in Mexico. Some of our friends from church are going again because the wife broke her tooth. She was not too happy with the last time she went, so I don’t know why she is going again – she indicated that it was painful. I know they aren’t poor, they just bought a second home for $390K and made all kinds of (to my mind) unnecessary remodeling and are getting ready to go back to their summer home in Washington with their horses. Horses aren’t cheap animals to own. And you have to own a pretty decent diesel truck to haul a big horse trailer. I really wonder what drives them to go to Mexico for dental care when they obviously have enough money to go to a dentist here in the states. Who knows? Thanks for visiting and commenting!
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Well, I don’t need to get medical treatment in Mexico because I live in Canada but my first mother-in-law was diagnosed with leukemia back in the mid 1970’s and chose to go to Mexico for laetrile treatments (which aren’t available in most places).
She went as necessary over the years based on how her blood work was looking and finally passed away about 4 or 5 years ago following a major heart attack (not at all related to the cancer). All I can say is that it worked for her.
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Highly ill-advised. Whatever our medical system leaves to be desired, Mexico’s leaves to be desired in spades.
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Mrs. Accountability Reply:
May 21st, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Yeah, I feel the same. But then again, I wouldn’t even vacation there, and I know quite a few that think Rocky Point is a great place to go on vacation.
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