Patients have long known that Mexico hospitals are an excellent resource for serious surgeries. More men and women are taking advantage of Mexico medical travel with each passing year, flying south of the border to have all kinds of procedures and consultations performed. Americans are realizing in increasing numbers that the high standard of care and low cost that has made healthcare in Mexico popular also applies to more complex procedures including interventional cardiology procedures, spinal surgery procedures, and orthopedic procedures such as hip replacement and hip resurfacing that are becoming increasingly common with the aging of the baby boom segment of the population. As a result, Mexico hospitals are seeing a surge in demand for procedures such as hip replacement and hip resurfacing.

Better Care, Lower Cost

Angeles Health International’s network of hospitals offers high-quality healthcare at lower costs than patients would pay in America. Comparing fees on hip replacement surgery tells the story. Costs are typically one-third to one-half lower than they would be for the same procedure in the U.S. Angeles Hospitals are state-of-the-art, technologically modern facilities that attract elite surgeons, many receiving as well as providing training at U.S. hospitals and medical schools.

Angeles Hospitals are able to charge such comparatively lower fees because of the significantly lower costs of living in Mexico. Real estate, construction and wages are all much cheaper in Mexico. Medical facilities in Mexico spend less money to obtain basic supplies, like food and bed linens. Their costs will also be lower when buying the same advanced medical equipment that exists in the U.S.; there are fewer large companies in Mexico who will drive up the prices. All of these savings get passed on to the patient.

The Insurance Factor

In addition to the simple savings from a lower cost of living, Mexico hospitals also obtain the benefits of freedom from the complicated web of insurance companies that tends to ensnare American hospitals and hip replacement surgeons. Few would argue that insurance in the U.S. is a broken system, often providing little coverage and high premiums and deductibles that many people cannot afford. The net result is a large segment of the population that is insured yet unable financially to access critical surgeries with high deductibles and out of pocket costs – among them hip replacement, knee replacement and hip resurfacing procedures. Faced with out of pocket costs that often exceed $35,000, it is easy to see why the cash pay price for hip replacement in Mexico – less than $14,000, at a state-of the-art private hospital – has become so attractive.

The Mexico Medical Travel Difference

The Medical Tourism Association, a U.S. non-profit, reported in 2009 from a survey of medical travel patients.  Results show medical travel patients consistently reported high levels of satisfaction with their international care, which included Mexico hospitals and Mexico hip replacement surgeons.  More than 9 in 10 patients reported receiving care that was the same or better than what they have experienced in the U.S. – this included patients of Mexico medical travel as well as travel to other countries. This continues to fuel a positive cycle for U.S. patients considering joint replacement surgery such as hip replacement or hip resurfacing: that is, as Mexico medical travel becomes more and more common amongst American citizens, the savings in Mexico hospitals are only going to increase.