Hospital Room (Clinica Merida)
Travel Weekly contributing editor, journalist and travel expert Meagen Drillinger says that Medical Tourism is on the rise in the Yucatan Peninsula.
As the cost of health care in the U.S. continues to rise, Americans are increasingly turning to medical tourism for more affordable options. But whereas in the past travelers have sought destinations farther afield, like Thailand, more and more Americans are starting to look toward Mexico.
Historically Mexico City and Monterrey have been known for their medical tourism, but Cancun recently has been rising in the ranks as one of the most affordable, safe and practical destinations for foreigners, as well.
According to the Medical Tourism Index from 2017, 66% of Mexico’s 4,500 hospitals are privately owned: “[Mexico’s] proximity to the United States gives the private health care system the opportunity of looking outside the destination for incremental business.”
“As Mexico continues to capitalize on its closeness to the U.S. market, the destination maintains a cost advantage when paired with its cheap labor market,” the Index reports.
“The number one reason Cancun is so attractive for medical tourism is savings,” said Andres Jurado, the director of My Medical Vacations, a travel company that has been organizing medical tourism to Cancun for the past decade. “Cancun is a name travelers recognize, so even if they don’t know the rest of Mexico, they know Cancun and what it represents.”
Jurado said that Cancun is most popular for elective procedures, including plastic surgery, dentistry and fertility. There are three major fertility clinics in Cancun that cater to international patients. Mexico also has six JCI-accredited hospitals. JCI is the Joint Commission, a U.S.-based nonprofit that accredits health care organizations and programs. Cancun is the only destination with two JCI-accredited hospitals.
“Medical tourism works exclusively in the private sector. For the types of procedures that patients are looking for, Cancun is well equipped,” Jurado added.
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