Traveling4Health

Back Surgery: 200% Cheaper in Canada

If paying 200% more for the same laminectory discectomy in the U.S. is going to hurt your pocket book, then it pays to shop for medical across the Canadian border.  It certainly stretches your dollars so that you don’t have to choose between what you want to spend your money on and taking care of your medical needs.

False Creek Surgical Centre, Vancouver, B.C., takes US medical insurance, pays your deductibles and co-pays and your overnight stay.  Depending upon your insurance, that’s at least going to save you all your out-of-pocket expense and pay off your deductible (and that’s quite a lot of savings). 

“We have identified some medical procedures in the U.S. that cost 200% more than in Canada.  It is dramatic, the difference,” says Dr. Mark Godley, CEO and Clinic Director of False Creek Surgical Centre, Vancouver, B.C.” 

“For example laminectory discectomy, a type of compression disc back surgery; our price in Canada is $7,000 and that includes the overnight stay, “said Godley, “We’ve been advised by medical providers that the exact same procedure can cost up to 200% more in the U.S.” 

If you’re uninsured, or under insured, well, we’re talking the difference between say $7,000 and close to $30,000.  To get this and other more expensive procedures done abroad (medical tourism) it means you can take your credit card and not have to take out a mortgage to pay for major medical procedures.  You won’t have to choose between taking care of your medical needs and being able to put your child in college.
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 ”A Better Deal For US Patients In Canada” recorded interview and article where Dr. Godley shares how US patients can expect to save 30-70% off surgical procedures in Canada. 

-Ilene Little for Traveling4Health, Inc.

A Better Deal For US Patients In Canada!

A Better Deal For US Patients In Canada.  U.S. patients are saving 30 to 70% off the cost of medical procedures in the States by crossing the Canadian border to The False Creek Surgical Centre in Vancouver, B.C

For example, the same knee surgery involving an anterior cruciate ligament costing over $10,000 in the States will cost $5,500 in Canadian dollars, according to Centre founder, and Clinic Director Dr. Mark Godley, MB ChB, FRCPC.

Godley is a pioneering medical professional in the field of private health care in Canada who built one of the first free-standing surgical centers in Vancouver into what is today a 20,000 sq foot multi-surgery, multi-disciplinary facility. 

“It’s more than a surgical hospital,” said Godley, “it’s a Mayo or Cleveland style facility with advanced diagnostics and 13 overnight-stay beds, a large Urgent Care Centre, a family practice and specialty referral clinic.”

Godley has at times been an outspoken critic of the Canadian Health Care System and an advocate for change.  “In 1998, after working with a number of plastic surgeons, I could see that things were starting to unravel with the Canadian Healthcare system.  In 1999, I decided it was time to build a surgical facility and change the way plastic surgery was being offered in British Columbia,” he said. 

“I saw the trend in other parts of the world to provide plastic surgery not only to the wealthy and well-off but to the general public,” said Godley, “so we came up with these financial plans where people could pay as little as $150 a month and it was quite successful.”

What Godley sees now is an opportunity to expand his business across the U.S. border. “I saw that the margin for profit now allows for exporting health care to the United States,” he said, “and It became evident to me that it was possible to treat ‘out of network’ patients,” said Godley, “and that meant we could cater to both the non-insured and the insured patient.”

“We’re not going to place any financial burden on the patient whatsoever,” said Godley.  “Whereas ordinarily your insurance company will only pay a certain portion of the cost which leaves you in a co pay situation or looking at a large deductible, our plan is for the patient not to have to come up with any co-pay or any deductible.”

“The NAFTA Treaty makes it easy for us to do business with the U.S., and we’re willing to take all the risk,” said Godley, “Traditionally the cost of health care in Canada has been so much less expensive than in the U.S. that we decided to pass on that savings to the patient.”

False Creek Centre has two websites:  www.falsecreekcentre.com and www.nationalsurgery.com.  Here’s the offer to U.S. citizens: 
We offer an “All-Inclusive Package:”
     • Flights
     • Hotel accommodation in close proximity to the Centre
     • Consultations
     • Diagnostics and Imaging if necessary
     • Post Operative consults
     • Expect Savings of 30 - 70%

 Listen as a U.S. patient shares his medical experience in “A Skiing Accident In Whistler, B.C., 12,000 Miles From Home“

A Skiing Accident 12,000 Miles From Home

U.S. citizens skiing at Whistler in January 2009, faced what we all dread; having a bad accident far from your home in another country.
 
Larry & Shelia Hakim, a Detroit couple in their early 50’s were enjoying a skiing holiday when the worst happened – from the standpoint of ruining a vacation.  The fourth day into their vacation on January 27th, Larry had a skiing accident that resulted in an emergency surgery situation.

According to the Hakims, Dr. Monika Rempel of Whistler Health Care Centre suggested two choices for the required surgery; either a medivac to Harbourview Hospital in Seattle or have the surgery done at a private pay surgical center in Vancouver, B.C.  She recommended Dr. Alan Baggoo, a surgeon who she felt was one of the best for the type of surgical procedure required.
 
“It came down to picking a surgical center that had the right orthopedic beds and where the surgeon could practice,” said Shelia.  A three hour ambulance ride later, Larry was admitted to the False Creek Surgical Centre in Vancouver, B.C., for Tibial Plateau Fracture Repair.
 
“I saw the care that he got at False Creek Medical Centre, the beautiful room, the attention of the nurses and it was great” said Shelia.  “I’ve been in the hospital at home in Michigan,” said Shelia, “and it wasn’t all that wonderful.”
 
“We knew that in Canada it was socialized medicine so Shelia went into overdrive researching all the different availabilities of care and insurance coverage,” said Hakim, “We had medical insurance through the Health Alliance Plan, an HMO in Detroit plus my wife had bought the travel insurance for our trip.
 
The Hakim’s bought travel insurance through Intrawest Resorts who arranged their vacation stay in Whistler. “The representative for the travel insurance turned out to be a tremendous help coordinating between Shelia and our insurance company,” said Hakim, “we’ve been told that our insurance covered everything, even the private room.”

Even in an emergency situation the cost of medical care is far less than in the States.  And now that private pay facilities are emerging, Canada is attracting medical tourists.
  
A week later they were home in Michigan, “and False Creek Medical followed up with us to find out if we got home safely and called several times to check up on my progress,” said Hakim.
 
When Hakim went to his orthopedic specialist in Detroit, “he looked at the x-rays and told me ‘your surgeon did a perfect job.  You should heal 100%’.  And that is when I finally could relax,” said Hakim, “You know you’re in a different country, your thousands of miles from home, you’re drugged up, they’re telling you everything is fine but you’re thinking, okay when I wake up is it still going to be everything I’ve been told.”

“He got better care than he would have gotten at home at our hospital here in Michigan,” said Shelia.  “Without a doubt,” agreed Hakim,” I believe that the care was better than I would have experienced anywhere.”

Read related article:   “A Better Deal For US Patients Across The Canadian Border“  and learn how US patients can expect to save 30-70% off surgical procedures in Canada. 
 
– Ilene Little for Traveling4Health.com

Healthcare: Freedom To Travel For Quality And Cost Options

Listen to recorded interview with Healthcare Professional David Printy as shares his insights on how U.S. physicians,  medical institutions and insurance companies are trending towards the globalization of healthcare.

In 2005 Bostonian David Printy, accepted the position of CEO of Oasis Hospital in the U.A.E, to expand the hospital’s medical infrastructure and to build a bridge attracting U.S. physicians and the rotation of U.S. physicians in training to the Middle East for the greater good of globalized healthcare.

“I think people are very interested in contributing to the welfare of humanity,” said Printy, “And having these international rotations allows physicians to really contribute to improving the world’s health care and the social fabric of many of these troubled parts of the world.”

“Everyone thinks of globalization dealing with software and manufacturing, but healthcare is now joined in this globalization and patients really have the freedom to travel for quality and cost options” said Printy.

“But more than that, I think really – given what’s going on in the economy; particularly the oil industry – a lot of the capital structure that supported health care in the west is moving in a global direction, and certainly the last few years here in the Middle East,” he said.

U.S. companies are invested heavily in the globalization of healthcare.   “Significant investments in building, technology and training has taken place here in the Gulf region which I think in the future will make it a very attractive place for healthcare,” said Printy.

“The Cleveland Clinic is here, John Hopkins International is here, the Mayo Clinic is here.  Duke University is starting a cardiac program here, and In Qatar you have the Cornell Medical School Campus.  So U.S. institutions are in place.

I think over the next five years citizens of the U.S. will start exploring the area for tourism and from there I think you will find opportunities for certain healthcare procedures here.  There really is a major opportunity to reduce healthcare costs particularly for cardiac care and other very high cost medical procedures.

I have some doctors coming here to visit in January and February to evaluate the opportunities of practicing abroad; particularly some surgeons, internal medicine specialists and a cardiologist and a group of pediatricians and an OBGYN as well.  Most of them are interested in improving the educational experience of the residents back in the U.S., and they want to start some rotations internationally,” Printy said.

As our U.S. medical and insurance infrastructure grow roots in the Middle East, our citizens will become more comfortable taking advantage of the cost and quality options of having medical procedures done in the U.A.E.

“United Health Care is growing an international network of providers.  They are really aggressive and I’m sure do a good job.  There are also a number of Blue Cross associations in the U.S. that are beginning to build kind of ‘pilot’ programs.  The other company that was very active in the international market was health side of American International Group ‘AIG’ that’s in the news a lot.  They are highly respected in the world, and they have one of the most efficient health care programs in the Middle East,” Printy said.

All this bodes well for the U.S. citizen managing their medical care expenses.  Where before one might save two-thirds or more of the expense of a medical procedure by having it done abroad, now your out-of-pocket expense may be further reduced as U.S. insurance companies pitch in to reimburse for offshore care.

“Oasis Hospital was the very first private hospital to in the Abu Dhabi Emirate to be joint commissioned international accredited.  As a result of that we became part of the United Health Care network for this part of the world,” said Printy.

“The U.A. E. is a very strong ally of the U.S. and it’s a very comfortable for U.S. citizens here.  The Bedouin people are very inviting and tolerant people,” said Printy, “Over time I think the citizens will follow the U.S. institutions who are locating here.”

What’s it like for an American healthcare professional living in the Middle East?  “We’re very fortunate,” said Printy, “The hospital has grown tremendously.   Since I’ve been here we’ve been able to revitalize the hospital and reposition it to meet the community needs.  My staff comes from 32 nations, so you can imagine the daily challenges getting everybody to understand where we need to go and to build a collective spirit with such diversity.  It’s a very rewarding experience.”

To research more options for living abroad and global healthcare, visit Travelingforhealth.

Medical Care in Costa Rica - Major Medical Issues

In the middle of 2004 I took a bad fall on a slippery outside staircase and tore three ligaments off of my right shoulder.  At the time I was living in San Diego, CA.  In December of 2006, while living in Costa Rica, I took another very bad fall and ripped the same three tendons partially or totally off of my right shoulder.

In Costa Rica, as in San Diego, the surgeons repaired the damage by stitching and inserting pins into the bone.  In San Diego I had Blue Cross medical insurance which covered 80% of the surgery costs.  I also paid $20 co-payments for followup appointments.  The surgeon and out-patient care at a major private hospital was excellent.  The doctor was a sports medicine orthopedics specialist and I felt I made the right choice.  I believe the total cost of the surgery was over $30,000.

When I damaged the shoulder the second time in Costa Rica I had private medical insurance purchased from the semi-autonomous government insurance company Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS) or National Insurance Institute.  I paid a 10% deductible of the $6,000 surgery and several $20 co-payments for followup appointments.  The deductible is now 25%.  I found another excellent orthopedic surgeon from Columbia who specializes in shoulder and knee repairs.

I would rate both surgery experiences about equal but the costs were signficantly cheaper here in Costa Rica. I’ve recently had yet another bad fall and have partially torn off my bicep tendon from the bone again. I’m not sure as to whether or not it can be repaired.  I was told by my surgeon here that I probably don’t have enough tendon tissue left to have it fixed again.  I’ll be getting it examined soon and will let you know how things progress and turn out.

In late 2007 my private insurance lapsed and my agent neglected to remind me to renew my policy as he had done previously.  When I realized I no longer had private medical insurance I was short on cash to pay the $1,500 yearly premium.  So I joined the socialized medical system called the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (national Costa Rican socialized medical system) and paid a $32 a month premium with no co-payments required so long as I used the government’s doctors and facilities.

Now for the greatest medical shock of my life.  Sometime in middle of January, 2008 I started to notice that the toes of my left foot had gone permanently asleep with the surface of my foot very cold to the touch but the inside the foot burning. I went to see a local private doctor twice and each time was mis-diagnosed. I had several sessions of physical therapy and acupuncture, but I got progressively worse and became unable to walk more than 10 paces without unbearable pain and cramping of my left leg.

On March 20th I could no longer stand the pain.  With the help of an half American/Tico friend I went to the Emergency room of Grecia (small regional public) Hospital.  An emergency doctor there quickly realized that I had a critical vascular or circulatory problem and immediately put me in an ambulance to Costa Rica’s best public hospital located in San Jose, Hospital Mexico. The emergency doctors there did further testing and put me on a fast track to discover what my problem was.

On March 23rd, I was injected with radioactive dye directly into my left femoral artery high up on my leg. The CAJA doctors determined that I had massive blood clots in the femoral artery near my groin. The following day they performed by-pass surgery and created a new artery in my thigh.  Unfortunately, it was too late for my lower leg as it had been without sufficient oxygen for almost two months. The foot was literally dead and turning nasty colors. The doctors determined that the foot had to come off before gangrene could set in and recommended that the leg be amputated half way up my shin.

Of course I agreed and the amputation took place on March 31st.  At that point I considered my foot to be an ugly painful beast; an odd thing to say, but that’s how I felt at the time. After a very painful week in the hospital following the amputation I was released to the care of a friend living near Grecia. He had a staff of care givers and nurses that had been taking care of his failing father and mother.  They cleaned and fussed over me in my helpless condition for two weeks.  Unfortunately, the wound never stopped bleeding and oozing liquids.

After two weeks, I was taken into Grecia hospital to have the stitches removed. I had a bad feeling about the condition of the leg because the whole underside flap that was stitched up over the bone to seal the wound was not adhering properly.

My fears were correct and off I went again to Hospital Mexico’s emergency room. It was soon confirmed that the tissue surrounded the wound, although without infection, was obstensively dead tissue without the capacity to heal. The surgical team determined that the only solution was to amputate again, this time above my knee where they hoped the leg tissue was healthy enough to heal.

Needless to say, it was an absolutely crushing blow to me. I had just spent three weeks of unbearable pain only to learn that more was in store for me. On April 24th a second amputation was performed. During the operation, the surgeons discovered that a major vein had formed a blood clot and was the reason my first amputation went bad.  They also performed an additional by-pass to rectify the vein problem.

The second, and hopefully last, amputation went much easier on me in terms of pain and the pace of healing. Unfortunately, when I finally was able to get erect again and use crutches my abdominal walls had weakened so much that I developed a double hernia almost immediately on my right side where all of my weight is places on the crutches.

One of the problems with the socialized medical system here is that is it often overloaded and therefore difficult to get timely appointments and to schedule surgeries other than through emergency care.  I therefore elected to have my hernia repaired privately by my general surgeon who had been overseeing my amputation recoveries.  She performed surgery on me at a private plastic surgery center that had all of the necessary equipment and support personnel.  It cost me around $1,100 and was successful, although I had bleeding complications during recovery because of the blood thinners that I take daily.

I got a urinary tract infection from my Coronado Hospital hernia repair.  It was from a super drug resistant strain of bacteria that took me weeks to defeat.  Luckily, I got no such infection from the Costa Rican clinic hernia repair.  In fact, although there are occurances of drug resistant strains of bacteria in the hospitals here, it is yet nowhere as prevalent as in the States.

It’s now seven plus months since the second amputation and I’m able to get around fairly well with crutches and occasionally use a somewhat primitive prosthetic leg.  I’m leary of using the prosthetic as it’s already caused me to fall and again blow out my bicep tendon from my shoulder blade.

What I need is a $25,000 C-leg with a computer chip in the knee socket that will make it really hard for me to fall down.  Unfortunately, I’ve tied up too much of my funds in my dream home and until Isell it I won’t have enough money to buy a C-leg.

At the moment, my doctors and I are still clueless as to why I’m such a good blood clot producer. It’s not from diabetes, smoking or genetic disposition.  I continue to search medical reports and studies to find out why and how to put me back to normal. I still don’t have private medical insurance. Thank goodness all of my medical care has been covered by the Costa Rican government’s socialized medicine.

Learn what prompted Gene to retire in Costa Rica and how he built his dream home for 40% less than he could have built it in the States.

- Gene Warneke is a photo-journalist for Traveling4Health.  View photo albums documenting the construction, from the ground up, of his home in Grecia, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica.  View samples of his photography and videos on Youtube.

Prostate Cancer: Alternative Treatments Found For Virile Males

“You’re going to die within two years or possibly 10 years”.   That was the best case and worst case prognosis Gary Walton was given by his urologist upon being diagnosed in 2004 with an aggressive prostate cancer.  

Walton, a resident of Rodeo, California, was 64 years old at the time of his diagnosis.  Since then he has rebounded from that dismal prognosis and is retaining the richness of his life with alternative treatments that offer far less negative side effects than any of the treatments recommended by his U.S. doctors.

“It was devastating to get that diagnosis,” said Walton, “It was presented by the doctor like a death sentence.  We asked him what kind of negatives would introduce at that time, and his response was, ‘there’s a lot of things that can happen, but you just have to understand that this is the only way that you can go.’ 

All the doctor wanted to do was to surgically take out my prostate.  It was pretty much a given that after surgery I was going to be incontinent and impotent.”  “Prostate cancer is devastating to a male because it attacks the male testosterone and the male physiology and consequently that’s all devastating mentally as well as the physical problems,” said Walton, “Men in their late 70’s and 80’s may have only slight sexual urges.  But when you’re in your 50’s and 60’s and still virile, it’s absolutely devastating.”

The Walton’s researched alternative treatments, insisting on referrals to physicians specializing in Brachytherapy seed implantation and radiation.  “Because of my Gleason number, I was told I was not a candidate for seed implantation” so I started radiation treatments.   At no time did any of the doctors we saw give us any indication that there were other alternative treatments,” said Walton. 

I was prescribed Lupron for about four months and the side effects were just horrendous.  “Lupron has tremendously negative side effects for men.  The side effects are that you lose bone mass, you lose muscle mass, you lose hair.  You get heavy in the hips, your breasts enlarge.  Your whole physiology changes from masculine to feminine.  It is medical castration.

I couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror.  I couldn’t even recognize myself.  I was also fainting so I couldn’t even trust myself to drive.  I lost all kinds of energy.  It was just totally devastating.   “I joked with my wife, I said, honey “don’t throw any dresses away, because you married a man but you’re going to end up with a sister.“

After my 40 radiation treatments my PSA had gone down and it stayed stabilized for about a year, year and a half, but then it started doubling.  We were very concerned that the cancer was returning with a vengeance.  

I woke up one morning after a sleepless night and I told my wife, “you know this is a big wide world.  In Europe, in Asia, in South America and in Canada, there must be some research going on that maybe we don’t know about here in the U.S., so one of the first places we went to was WHO, The World Health Organization.  They suggested HIFU and Dendritic treatments.    That’s when the Waltons chose to travel outside the U.S. for the treatments they required.  “I could have gone to Canada, but because it was February, we chose Mexico.”  Their research started by contacting HIFU in Charlotte, North Carolina.

HIFU has a contract with San Javier Hospital, Puerto Vallarta, for Dr. Raul Morales  of the IIB Clinic for Dendritic and Dr. Carlos Garcia for the HIFU procedure.  Robert Johnson, with HIFU, arranged everything for us including air and hotel accommodations and no-cost shuttle service daily from hotel to San Javier Hospital. 

Between my first and second trip to Mexico for Dendritic treatments I had not taken any additional medications or treatments suggested by my doctors in California.  I knew that since my PSA had been level for almost a year that it had to be due to the Dendritic treatment. 

Walton said there are clinical trials of Dendritic treatments going on in the U.S.  “I sought the opinion of Dr. Lawrence Fong, University of California San Francisco Medical Center.  He is a specialist in the Dendritic area and feels there were worthwhile clinical trials going on showing positive proof that Dendritic treatments would be a good treatment procedure for all kinds of cancer. 

Walton said it’s been his experience that doctors in the U.S. don’t give you all the information you need to make an analysis for yourself.  “They are handcuffed and gagged by the healthcare system and by the hospitals because they ar so afraid of any kind of litigation,” said Walton, “They don’t have your best interests at heart.  They have the hospital’s bes interests at heart.” 

“I question why the FDA is so slow in the approval process when these alternative treatments have been proven and in use for years in other countries,” said Walton.

Walton has made three trips to Puerto Vallarta for treatment.  Based on the predictable results, the Waltons anticipate maintaining his PSA level by making annual trips to Puerto Vallarta for the treatment.  Each trip takes about week.  The treatment procedure at IIB consists of four sessions that Walton describes in detail in a separate recorded interview. 

“The cost of the HIFU treatment was $25,000.00.  The first treatment of both HIFU and Dendritic in February 2007, cost $50,000.00.  The last two Dendritic treatments have each been approximately $13,000,” said Walton.

 ”At all times we were treated with the upmost respect and professionalism.  For a very difficult experience, in a strange country, everyone made us feel comfortable.  We had an English speaking interpreter with us at all times during the treatments and available 24/7 for our calls and questions” said Walton.

“I truly feel that a doctor who has signed the oath and knows that there are other treatments out there that could be extremely beneficial, and if they don’t give you the information and allow you to know that and their patient dies, I think that is the most cruel thing that any doctor can do.” said Walton.

View pictures of Gary and Lea Walton and hear their interviews recorded live for Traveling4Health.com where you can avoid the annoying distraction of advertising links.  Listen as Walton describes in detail his medical experience in the U.S.  Hear his first-hand account receiving HIFU and Dendritic treatments at the IIB Clinic in Puerto Vallarta Mexico.

Retirement is expensive. Time to get creative.

Mexico physician and visionary, Dr. Jesus Gonzalez-Gaytan, former Medical Director of AmeriMed Hospital at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and currently founder and CEO of One-Stop Medical is paving the way for Americans to maintain their health and standard of living abroad in Mexico.    One-Stop Medical offers an innovative $660/year urgent care medical coverage plan for people living more than six months a year in Mexico’s popular resort town of Puerto Penasco, ‘Rocky Point’, and plans to expand the plan to other livable communities within Mexico.   

You don’t need a crystal ball to see that foreign land developers looking to attract Baby-Boomers in the age bracket of 40 - 65 to buy second home or retirement abroad will sell more homes by featuring accessible medical facilities and health care in or near their land development projects.   

“It amazes me that people buy million dollar homes in Mexico in locations that are booming with new home developments, but without ever asking themselves the question, ‘what if I have a heart attack; what will happen to me?’  I suggest you get that question answered to your satisfaction BEFORE you buy a home,” said Frank Carrillo, founder and CEO of SIMNSA, the only foreign HMO provider accredited by the CA Dept. of Managed Care.   

Dr. Gonzalez has a privately owned medical company in Mexico rising to meet the challenge of serving the health care needs of expats including American retirees, and subsequently raising the standard of living of the indigenous population who will benefit from the economic stimulant. 

It’s a win/win proposition for all people concerned. “I want to give the foreigners that live here the same quality of healthcare they are used to in the USA, and possibly improving it, by decreasing the paperwork and increasing the time dedicated to patients” said Gonzalez. The word to the wise is that both U.S. and foreign insurance companies will either compete or work together to provide medical coverage reimbursement for care provided to citizens living abroad, and that all entities involved will benefit financially from meeting the needs of consumers.   

That all bodes well for retirees who broaden their horizons to include global solutions to lowering their cost of medical expenses, protecting their financial nest eggs, and maintaining their standard of living upon retirement. 

Listen to live interviews with insurance industry experts and foreign doctors at Traveling4Health.com.

Baby-Boomer and Seniors Retiring Where the Health Care is Good and The Cost of Living is Easy on Your Pocketbook.

Retiring abroad is just one of many ways in which our world is flattening.  Many retirees view living an enriched lifestyle abroad a natural extension of the effective cost reduction solution which businesses have used for many years, off-shoring.

For instance, based on an income level of $50,000 a year, here is a cost of living comparison between Seattle, WA, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  Granted, neither location is the ‘cheapest’ place to live, but both are recognized as desirable destinations in terms of quality of lifestyle; particularly relevant when looking to maintain a high standard of living upon retirement.

Click Here to compare the cost of living, including the cost of health care, between Seattle Washington and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Stem Cell Therapy in Mexico: A Parkinson Patient Walks Again!

For the last three years, 78 year old Walter White, an expatriate living in Antigua Guatemala, had been steadily losing his ability to walk as a result of Parkinson’s disease.

In July 2008, White underwent stem cell therapy at the IIB Clinic in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  “I was headed for a wheel chair when I arrived in Mexico,” said White.  “In order to walk I had to have a cane in one hand and a person on the other. 

White related that his father, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease’ had been in a wheel chair for a couple of years before he passed away, “and I didn’t want that to happen to me so I took a chance on stem cell therapy.  It was kind of scary,” he admits. 

According to White, the stem cell therapy consisted of taking bone marrow out of his legs for five days and then re-injecting marrow back into his body.  “They never used a knife,” said White, “They used needles and I had local anesthesia for both operations.  I never felt a thing.” 

“They kept me in intensive care for a day and a night just to be on the safe side,” said White, “the whole treatment took about two weeks.

White said Dr. Raul Morales thoroughly explained everything about the procedure to him and to his wife.  “Dr. Morales had a team of four or five doctors, and they checked me out beforehand from head to toe, including my heart,” said White.

After two weeks of stem cell therapy, White’s leg bones were strong enough to walk on his own.  “Now I can walk without help and without a cane,” said White.  The cost was $23,500.00

 To research more options for living abroad and global healthcare options, visit Travelingforhealth.

Mexico Is Our India for Medical Tourism and A Strong Contender for Baby Boomer Retirement Destinations

Mexican hospitals are equal in quality to the medical tourism hospitals in India, and Mexico has the advantage that it’s closer to home which translates into less stress of travel for American medical tourists plus, overall, a more sustainable senior health care resource for baby-boomers considering the cost savings of retiring abroad.

Mexico has several hospitals staffed with American and American-trained physicians and surgeons as well as American owned and run hospitals, like the AmeriMed Hospital Group, as well as private medical clinics for urgent care that have sprouted up recently in many of the most popular Mexico coastal towns. 

So the big picture being painted here is that the same places you might go for surgery or a medical vacation in Mexico are popular retirement destinations for baby-boomers and for the same reasons; the health care experience and the feeling that you’re on vacation.  Plus, there’s an abundance of American communities; neighborhoods where you’ll feel at home.

New neighborhood, same friends, is Mexico’s allure for baby-boomers looking at retiring abroad for the obvious savings in cost of living and for the high standard of living and choice of locations that feature accessible health care in terms of hospitals, urgent care and alternative care.

After all, how many times a year do you go to the hospital compared to how many visits you make to the chiropractor, the dentist, and to your physicians for common ailments and to specialists for your individual health care needs?

I’m not minimizing how important it is to have a good hospital accessible, but it does mean accessibility to urgent care, family physicians, specialty physicians and alternative care is what’s going to sell the homes for the community and resort developers in Mexico looking to incentivize American Baby-Boomers to retire abroad

So it’s the sustainable medical care in general that allows seniors to maintain a high standard quality of life, and that’s what matters most to retirees when picking a retirement destination.

More good news for seniors, is that American insurance companies offering expatriate medical insurance for American retirees are now facing stiff competition from private Mexican medical providers offering very affordable urgent care insurance to foreigners in popular Mexican coastal and resort destinations, and soon to offer full-coverage health care insurance for a fraction of the cost of a comparable insurance policy in the States. 

Competition between the U.S. and Mexico in the health care and medical insurance industries bodes well for baby-boomers looking to sustain their quality of life upon retirement without depleting their financial nest egg for medical care.

Check out an example of affordable urgent care insurance available to foreigners living in the popular Mexican resort town of Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point, Mexico), by visiting Mexican urgent care insurance at Travelingforhealth.