Travelers, Retirees Need to Protect their Health South of the Border

By Igor Lobanov
Mature Life Features
October 2005, and syndicated

Tens of thousands of people in the United States and Canada head south into Mexico for holidays, extended stays or, for retired couples and others, a new life in their later years.

Accustomed to the level of health care in their home nation, many have questions about how they could fare visiting or living in this Latin country.

A family trio of authors, two of whom are doctors and all of whom are fluent in English and Spanish, set out to learn the level of care and the competency of physicians in the various regions of the country.

Their several years of research has resulted in a book, Mexico: Health and Safety Travel Guide. (MedToGo, Tempe, Arizona, 466 pages, $19.95 U.S., $29.95 in Canada) that provides concrete information about hospitals and physicians in cities across Mexico.

The authors are a Phoenix-area physician, Dr. Robert H. Page, and two of his sons, Dr. Curtis Page and Robert R. Page.

Curtis is a Harvard Medical School graduate and family practitioner in Tempe, Ariz., and, along with his father, a member of the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM). Robert is a graduate in developmental economics from Georgetown University, has done research in Latin nations, including Mexico, and was the field researcher on this project.

The book begins by offering guidelines on how to prepare for a visit to Mexico. Much of the advice is applicable to any trip abroad.

It lists basic immunizations you might want to have before you set out. Also included is material on a travel health kit, of interest especially if you have special health needs or concerns. There is a list of several travel health insurers who provide coverage of emergency care abroad and, in some cases, air evacuation.

There is advice on what to do in high-crime areas, such as Mexico City. For example, take only taxis you order from a taxi stand or call a radio-dispatched cab to pick you up. You’ll pay more than hailing a cab on the street but have more security, the authors point out.

They note that most legal medications are available in Mexico without a prescription, but a certain amount of them may be substandard quality, or simply counterfeit. There’s information on infectious diseases, including those from bites and ticks.

A large section on symptoms describes abdominal pain, allergies, shortness of breath, urinary troubles, and other distresses and what they can mean. Also covered are medical conditions, from asthma, anxiety, and pulmonary problems to pneumonia, heart disease, and stroke.

With regard to cardiac care, the authors note that there are more than 50 hospitals in Mexico where open-heart surgery, pacemakers, and other heart-saving procedures are performed.

Long-term travelers or retirees in Mexico can find out about the affordable health insurance through the government’s Institute for Social Security (IMSS) available to all residents, regardless of nationality. There also are private health-care plans, popular with a significant segment of the Mexican population Coverage generally excludes pre-existing conditions but does cover any disease acquired while you’re in Mexico.

A section of the Mexican health care system is included but the bulk of the volume is devoted to a region-by-region description of available hospital and physician care. Each listing includes a hospital rating system based on personal visits and evaluations. This is followed by biographies of and contact information for several English-speaking doctors in the area involved. Also included is a photo of the hospital, pertinent telephone numbers, and a map showing its precise location.

Each hospital listing includes a box specifying services available, medical subspecies such as cardiology and gastroenterology, plus the number of staff physicians and hospital beds.

A chart with each city or community covered lists emergency telephone numbers and the location of emergency facilities such as ambulance, police, and fire, and an emergency hotline one can call.

Scattered throughout the book are general tips about protecting your health when you travel.

The authors reassure their readers that the quality of health care found in Mexico, especially in hospitals in the country’s major cities — Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, is the equivalent of care provided in major medical centers in the United States.

Medical facilities in smaller cities such as Mazatlan, Veracruz, and Hermosillo have specialty hospitals.

Medical facilities in smaller and rural towns such as Chapala (the popular expatriate retirement area near Guadalajara and situated by the lake of the same name) and the Baja California communities of Cabo San Lucas and La Paz often are hospitals and clinics owned and operated by physician groups.

The authors advise that, in these facilities, your room probably will be furnished with the bare essentials.

To help you gauge the level of care you can expect, each hospital is assigned a level on a seven-level rating code whose categories range from 5/5, which signifies that all major and minor medical care is available, down to 2/5, meaning emergency care only.

Regarding payment, the authors point out that, unless the situation is life threatening, most Mexican hospitals expect payment in advance, by cash or credit card. Then you apply for reimbursement from your insurer when you return home. As a rule, Mexican medical organizations do not accept non-Mexican health-insurance plans.

n appendix covers basic information on scores of popular medications, listing their use, dosage, and side effects. A second appendix lists, in English and Spanish, statements, phrases, and words to help you explain your situation to medical personnel, police, and others.

For more information, call (866) MedToGo.

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