- Medical tourism is attracting attention after the kidnapping of four Americans in Mexico last week.
- Some 1.2 million Americans seek treatment in Mexico each year, mostly due to lower costs.
- One expert said it was possible to participate in medical tourism safely, but people should do their research thoroughly.
News of the kidnapping of four Americans in Mexico has brought new attention to the phenomenon of medical tourism, a hugely profitable industry that attracts millions of Americans each year, despite well-known health and safety risks.
On March 3, four Americans were abducted shortly after crossing the Mexican border from Brownsville, Texas, to Matamoros, Tamaulipas. The group was fired upon and abducted by gunmen, and two of the Americans were later found dead, according to the FBI.
One of the survivors, Cheryl Orange, told the media that the group entered Mexico so that one of them could have cosmetic surgery. This friend is one of approximately 1.2 million Americans who travel to Mexico each year for treatment, according to the organization Patients Beyond Borders.
Patients Beyond Borders calculated that, on average, Americans can expect to save 40-65% on medical treatment in Mexico. Cosmetic surgery is one of the most popular treatments Americans seek in foreign countries, according to the group, along with cardiovascular, orthopedic and even cancer treatments.
A 2020 survey of American medical tourists to Mexico found dental procedures to be the most sought-after medical service, and 92% of respondents cited cost as a reason for participating in medical tourism.
Lydia Gan, who directs the Center for Medical Tourism Research at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, said medical tourists can be at great risk traveling abroad for procedures if they don’t seek correctly the countries and medical facilities they visit.
Gan said the kidnapping in Mexico should be considered an “isolated case”. The biggest risk medical tourists face is “not knowing your surroundings,” she told Insider.
A member of the Mexican security forces stands next to a white van with North Carolina license plates and multiple bullet holes, at the crime scene where gunmen abducted four US citizens who entered Mexico from the Texas earlier this month.
PA
When selecting travel destinations, Gan recommended people always check the State Department’s travel advisories for the areas they are visiting. Currently, the State Department has issued a “do not travel” advisory to the Mexican state of Tamaulipas due to increased crime and kidnapping risks.
Gan, herself, traveled to Tijuana, Mexico, for medical treatment and said she felt “very safe” due to the extensive research and precautions she took before traveling.
“Typically, if I go to a country for treatment, I spend about a month researching the country and definitely have a contact person there that I can work with,” Gan said.
She said Americans can even seek out medical tourism travel agents to further reduce their risk. These organizations can arrange transport for patients between airports, medical clinics, or hospitals and hotels, and can even help find accredited doctors and hospitals.
Gan said Americans can find superior care than they would receive in the United States — for a fraction of the cost. She said patients should seek medical facilities accredited by the Joint Commission International to ensure they are on par with US standards of care.
“A lot of these hospitals have doctors who are certified in the US or the UK and trained in the US or the UK,” Gan said. “The nurse-to-patient ratio is usually 1:1, and you get more attention. You’re not just a statistic. People just have to do their homework.”