Americans head south to Mexico for cheaper health care

Americans are flocking to Mexico for discount health care, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

"Medical tourism is becoming a greater force in Mexico's economy as efforts to reform the U.S. health care system fall victim to political maneuvering. As the tenacious recession leaves more Americans without jobs — or working for employers who can no longer afford to provide insurance — adding a medical procedure to the vacation itinerary looks increasingly attractive. ... [T]he Mexican government is expecting the number of visitors seeking medical treatment there to reach 650,000 annually by 2020… treatment in a top-rated, internationally accredited hospital in Mexico typically costs at least 60 percent less than it would in the United States."

Meanwhile, the hospitals there often provide high-quality care: "Some advanced equipment and techniques actually are more accessible in Mexico than in the United States" (Delsol, 9/22).

Related, earlier KHN story: Latest Destination For Medical Tourism: The U.S. (Appleby, 7/7)