Medical Tourism Insurance

What is medical tourism? Is there medical tourism in Mexico?

High costs for medical procedures in the United States and Canada have driven many American and Canadian residents to look for solutions abroad. With such a large influx of expats seeking medical assistance, an entire market has developed around what has become known as “medical tourism”.

American and Canadian expats—seeking inexpensive medical tourism in Mexico or Thailand for example—are also drawn to the friendly service, professional aftercare, and scenic beaches or idyllic villages where they can recover from their surgeries or other medical procedure. Roughly, 1.5 million American and Canadian tourists seek everything from dental work and plastic surgery, to more complex medical procedures like coronary or orthopedic surgeries. An estimated 40 billion dollars is generated annually on foreign medical procedures. It comes as no surprise then that this burgeoning industry is expected to increase between 15% and 20% every year.

Top-of-the-line medical hospitals with highly-trained, English-speaking doctors are being built to accommodate this industry, creating an area where patients can recover with the feel of spending an extended time at a health spa—all while saving 40% – 90% on costs compared to the United States and Canada. These luxury recovery packages can include everything from private transportation to and from the airport, round-the-clock follow-up care, and stays in 5-star hotels.

What are the risks to medical tourism in Mexico than in the United States?

There are numerous risks involved in medical tourism. There are those risks involved in any surgery, no matter how common that surgery might be—which carries the risk of complications that would increase the financial cost of your medical stay abroad. Surgeons and nurses take precautions to minimize the risk of complications, however no medical procedure is ever guaranteed to run smoothly.

There are risks of infection due to exotic bacterias that may be resistant to antibiotics. There are also risks of unorthodox practices, poor regulatory systems, and lower-quality surgical skills which could lead to complications during surgery. You might receive unidentified or lower-quality implants. There may be a language barrier which would inhibit being able to communicate well with your surgeon, and most certainly there will be a break in continuity of care—meaning that your doctor will not be in the foreign country advising your surgeon. Lastly, there is a great financial risk if something does go wrong, and you will likely not be covered by your insurance in your home country.

How does our insurance cover the risk to medical tourism in Mexico and other parts of Latin America?

WeExpats uses a custom tailored Medical Tourism Insurance Policy through QBE and our partner Novamar to help to insure all our clients. This comprehensive coverage lasts for 12 months after any complication from your surgery, and it will cover you for $50,000 USD without an coinsurance or deductible. This policy is a very easy medical tourism insurance because it will pay your doctors directly, instead of only covering through reimbursement.

The insurer has underwriters physically in Latin America so that we can provide immediate assistance locally when you need us the most. We also can provide a bilingual staff which will help you communicate with your doctor to make the claim process simple and efficient.

And as always, you can count on having WeExpats in your corner during any medical procedure. Don’t risk your well-being on a medical procedure abroad. WeExpats are experts in medical tourism in Mexico and the rest of Latin America as well. We can help.