Medical Care in Mexico

Medical Facilities

A wide disparity in medical facilities exists in Mexico.  Modern hospitals, complete with sophisticated technology and highly skilled medical professionals exist in the major metropolitan areas such as Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.  These medical facilities, along with medical professionals, provide good quality care, on par, or according to some retirees in Mexico "superior" to care in the United States.  Most facilities in most parts of Mexico, however, are more modest and less comparable to facilities in the United States.

The larger hospitals in the Lake Chapala area have arrangements with private U.S. insurance companies including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Morgan White, Aetna, and ING.  Tricare, the U.S. military's health system, has a global network of providers for U.S. military and their families to access health care, which includes Mexican facilities.

Mexican Hospitals Near U.S. Retiree Communities

• Hospital San Javier
• Hospital Angeles del Carmen
• Centro Medico Excel
• Hospital del Prado

 

Medical Care Providers

Physicians

Medical programs in Mexico require undergraduate and six years of schooling.  Although less than the U.S. pre-residency programs of undergraduate and six years, many medical students in Mexico began preparing for medical school in preparatory school and there are normally fewer nonmedical-related courses than an undergraduate in the U.S. would take before entering medical school.  The Mexican government, through the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education, along with civil, professional organizations such as the Mexican Association of Faculties and Schools of Medicine (AMFEM) and the Mexican Council for the Accreditation of Medical Education (COMAEM) is improving the quality and uniformity of medical education in Mexico.  Although medical education in Mexico is structured differently than in the United States, U.S. retirees generally have expressed a high level of satisfaction for the quality of care delivered by Mexican physicians.   

Nurses

Auxiliares de Enfermerias, similar to nurses' aides, require 6-9 years of basic education followed by the successful completion of a training course lasting between 6 months and 1 year.  Enfermeras tecnicas, or technical nurses, must complete 9 years of basic education and a 3-year vocation course.  Professional nurses (enfermeras licenciadas) have 12 years of basic education and a degree in Nursing and Obstetrics from a 4-year university program.  Despite the different levels in training, many nurses generally perform similar duties at similar pay scales.

Home Health Care

Professional nursing and in-home care services are provided for the communities surrounding Lake Chapala.  Services include 24-hour home care, specialized treatments, rental and sale of medical equipment and home delivery or pick-up of medical supplies.  Services are provided by registered nurses and nurse' aides for short or long-term care.  According to the retirees, it is more common for doctors to make in-home visits in Mexico than in the United States.  Government regulation and oversight of home health care in the Lakeside area may be insufficient.