A couple of years ago I met two women who travel and live much of the time in a 26' RV. They also own a condo on the Mayan Riviera south of Cancun on the Yucatan peninsula, and are in the process of renovating an old colonial home they bought last year in Merida. One of them, who blogs their experience, recently contracted some sort of ailment that produced a lot of chest congestion. Her doctor suggested that she get an x-ray and bring him the film to have a look at.

This works a little different South of the border - in Mexico, you can walk in to a clinic and ask for blood work, urinalysis, x-rays, catscan...whatever. Here is her account of this experience:

"I walked into the Hospiten (private hospital in Playa del Carmen) at about 6:30pm with no appointment and told them I wanted a chest xray to be read by my doctor. I filled out a short form, waited a minute or two and was taken back to a very modern xray and cat scan facility. I put on the usual paper gown, they took one picture, I waited while they checked to see if it was good, got dressed, was handed my xray in an envelope and went back to the lobby. It was that fast. I got my bill which was $330 pesos (about $30us), paid it and we were out the door in about a half hour."

Can you see why I tell people that in Mexico one can enjoy superior access to health care, without ruinous expense? For the last week I have had a superficial infection on an eyelid due to a blocked eyelash folicle. This occurs about twice a year, and I know some antibiotic opthalmic ointment might have helped, but due to the hassles of finding a doctor, getting an appointment, having insurance approved and processed, prescription phoned in and filled, I just used hot compresses, which generally gets the job done - although with a bit more risk to monitor. In Mexico I would have walked in to the pharmacy, asked for the ointment, and walked out with it for a few dollars (no prescription required). If I had decided to see a doctor, I would have walked into any likely looking office without an appointment and been seen for maybe $20. Many pharmacies have a doctor clinic next door for minor things like this, that cost maybe five dollars (I have seen two dollars on one sign). Generally, Mexican doctors will spend a leisurely twenty minutes or so getting acquainted and hearing about your health issue with genuine interest. They also routinely make house calls if warranted. Have you ever dragged yourself through the abysmal health care labyrinth here while ill?

My experience in the U.S. is that after wasting a lot of time to finally gain entry into a medical office, a watch-glancing doctor will enter and exit the sterile little exam room in the blink of an eye. Once, during annual checkup as I described the few concerns that had accumulated since the previous year, I was cut off abruptly and told to reschedule if I wished to present my entire (apparently tedious and uninteresting) list.

I have read that the average retiree must plan on spending over $200,000 (much more if lifespan is long) here for out-of-pocket medical costs here in our land of private for-profit insurance, pharmaceutical, and legally perilous medical services. Medical costs are increasing at a rate several times general inflation. The majority of personal bankruptcies result from medical misfortune. People end up losing their homes, their retirment nest eggs, their peace of mind, and their general place in the world. It is disgraceful and unforgivable that our country tolerates this situation. Even the insured are at risk, but the failure to address the needs of the uninsured is especially scandalous.



In Mexico, anyone can enroll in a Medicare-like program for about $355 a year. Most U.S. refugees pay for routine care out-of-pocket, avoiding a layer of bureaucratic hassle and leaving more resources for those who haven't the means for private doctors. They use the IMSS medical plan for the big stuff. Hospitals in major cities are equal to any in the U.S. In smaller towns, maybe not so much - there will likely be peeling paint and shopworn but clean facilities, and caring competent staff. There may also be horror stories on occasion, but it seems the big picture is much less horrible for the vast majority of unwell people than here.

---