The US Is Ranked 38th in Health Care and 33rd in Life Expectancy

Today, I read an article titled "10 Things Most Americans Don't Know About America," by Mark Manson. The two pieces of information that caught my attention were these:

1.- The US is ranked 38th in health care by the World Health Organization.

Why is it that American spend most per capita on health care, yet they rank below Colombia when it comes to health care?

Part of it is the system. Health care is based on corporations and their interests. It's no secret that a corporation's main interest is profit. When a corporation has another interest that is in conflict with profit, it will always prioritize profit. That's not so bad in other industries, but in the health care industry, profits will take priority over... well, health care.

Other two factors taken into consideration for the ranking explain why the US is ranked so low. One of them is distribution or equality. As I said in an earlier post, the US has a great health care system, and it's the number 3 destination for medical tourism in the world. However, it is unavailable for much of its population because they can't afford it.

The other factor is fair financial contribution. Compared to other industrialized countries, Americans pay much more for the benefits that they get.

2.- The US is ranked 33rd in life expectancy by the Word Health Organization.

The big culprits here are life style and food. Americans, in general, like comfort, and unfortunately that means less exercise. The lack of good public transportation also means that we walk less and drive more. For many, their days consist of sitting all day long in an office and then going home and sitting at the table to eat dinner and then sitting on a couch to watch TV.

Then there's the food many people eat, which is full of fat and oil and salt and sugar. And not only that, but some of it is loaded with chemicals like preservatives and artificial colors.

This is not a recipe for a long life. And when your body fails from lack of exercise, excess of sugar and salt, or gets poisoned by chemicals, the treatments you need may be beyond your financial reach.

The solution to the health care problem in the US doesn't rely on a magic pill, but on a change of culture and attitude, which is much harder to do.

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Robert Ervin is a freelancer who writes about healthcare, medical tourism, and living in Mexico.

If you're considering traveling to Mexico for healthcare or retiring in Mexico, you may want to get yourself a copy of The English's Speaker's Guide to Doctors and Hospitals in Mexico, in order to find a good doctor or hospital in the main towns and cities of Mexico, or The English Speaker's Guide to Medical Care in Mexico, to understand how the Mexican healthcare system works. 

Surgery in Mexico: A Testimonial

Cindy Lundy, back home after getting hip surgery in Mexico

One of the main reasons why Americans get surgery in Mexico is because they are underinsured or have no insurance and can't afford the treatment they need in the US. Cindy Lundy, from Bend, Oregon is one of them. Here's her story:

I had problems walking for years now. When I lost my job, I didn't take the COBRA option (an insurance option for people who left employment) since it cost $900 dollars a month.

Originally, I wanted to postpone the surgery until I was 65. However, the hip worsened and I saw that it would have been hard to wait until then.

I started to look for options. I was shocked to discover how inaccessible the surgery was for me at home. One surgeon told me that without insurance, I'd have to have $65,000 in the bank. Another one sent me to a charity agency, but I was too embarrassed to go. I also didn't have much confidence in the safety of that place.

I looked up for options abroad. India seemed like a good choice and I filled up questionnaires and called numbers. Soon, I was receiving e-mails and calls back. However, their level of English wasn't too good and the calls came so often I felt harrassed. Obviously, this was not something that made me feel at ease.

I heard from a friend that she went with her daughter to Thailand to get her teeth fixed. Although Thailand was not that different in my mind from India, I decided I would feel better if someone came with me.

My husband would come with me, of course, but I needed assurance with the language. Then, one day, we went to visit his sister in Sonora, Mexico. This lead to us meeting their real-estate agent back in the US and by bringing the subject up, a contact that would help us get the surgery in Mexico.

The contact was very assuring. She was knowledgeable and didn't sound at all like a slick salesperson.

Once in Mexico, we saw the doctor, who asked me right away if I had an X-ray of my hip taken. When I said I hadn't, he sent me across the hall to get it. It cost 125 pesos, about $12 dollars, and I had it right away.

The doctor then proceeded to explain to me everything about the procedure and what my options were. He spoke very good English but with a Mexican accent. We decided to get the surgery two weeks after that, to give him enough time to gather the equipment he needed and for me to make up my mind and arrange things back at home.

When it came to select a room in the hospital, I chose the best one I could afford because I thought it would be safer. The room turned out to be a bit too big. It measured around 800 square feet. It had an ante for family visits and a person to stay with me at night (apparently a very common custom in Mexico).

After the surgery, I stayed in the hospital for two days and the doctor visited me every day. The on-duty doctor at night visited me as well.

I was sent to my hotel in an ambulance, where I stayed there for 2 weeks in recovery. I had a nurse who came to bathe me and take care of my and my wound. She didn't speak a word of English, but she had a charming way to communicate with me via expressions and movements. The day I left, she brought me some cookies she had prepared. I never felt such humane treatment in my life.

When I left, the waiters and maids and receptionists at the hotel were all very smiley and kind and wished me good luck in my recovery.

Of course, I was afraid of going to Mexico before the experience, having heard all the negative things about violence there on TV. My family warned me more than once. Some of my friends act like I was lucky to be back alive. I've also had the occasional comment about how I risked my life with bad surgery just to save a few dollars. Anyone who has spent some time in Mexico knows that these questions are ridiculous.

The whole experience, including meals and hotel was $15,500 dollars.

My father was a physician, a general practitioner, I compare the medical profession in Mexico to the day when  my father would make house calls in our small town. Doctors spend time with you and listen. That is no longer possible in the US.

I found this story in a magazine. While researching it, I discovered it was published on Inside Tucson Business. To read their version, go here.

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Robert Ervin is a freelancer who writes about healthcare, medical tourism, and living in Mexico.

If you're considering traveling to Mexico for healthcare or retiring in Mexico, you may want to get yourself a copy of The English's Speaker's Guide to Doctors and Hospitals in Mexico, in order to find a good doctor or hospital in the main towns and cities of Mexico, or The English Speaker's Guide to Medical Care in Mexico, to understand how the Mexican healthcare system works. 

Tips for Making the Best Out of Your Medical Trip

It's not uncommon at all to take advantage of the trip to enjoy the local fiesta.

While I recommend traveling to another country to get medical care, I also warn people that doing so comes with a risk. Like with any medical procedure at home, a medical procedure aboard means that you have to be responsible for your own health and inform yourself fully about the risks, the costs, the procedure and the post-care.

Here are some tips that will help you avoid the most common mistakes that medical tourists make.

1.- Take into consideration the extra costs... and then add some padding.

In addition to the medical costs, be prepared to pay for taxis and food and some extra medication. If someone is coming with you, you'll have to pay for a hotel and meals. You'll also want to buy souvenirs for yourself or someone else.

You might have emergency costs as well, depending on how risky the procedure is.

In addition to all that, I strongly suggest some padding, just in case.

2.- What about your medical records?

Not all countries treat medical records in the same way. In some countries, it's your doctor who keeps them, in others, it's you. You have to inform yourself with the doctor or the hospital in the other country about how the records will be handled.

You may need to have your medical records translated to Spanish, or viceversa.

3.- Inform yourself about the procedure, the risks and the post-care.

You should do this even when having a procedure at home. In the case of post-care, you have to decide beforehand if you're going to have it abroad or back home.

4.- Prevent or prepare for illnesses abroad.

It's not uncommon to get stomachaches if it's your first time abroad, since your body isn't used to the food. Different climates or altitudes may also give you a cold or a headache. I recommend taking  basic medications for common ailments with you. You should also get all the recommended vaccines for the country you're going to.

Better yet, make your body more resistant to illnesses by eating well and stopping smoking and drinking.

5.- Think about what you'd do in case something goes wrong.

I'm saying this not because you're going on a medical trip abroad. Even at home, many patients just don't think about how to handle emergencies. What's the worst case scenario? How likely is it and what will happen if such a scenario comes true?

Although I don't like to talk about death, in some circumstances, it's a possibility, and after all, it's part of life. If you're getting a life or death procedure abroad because you can't afford it at home, make arrangements and important decisions, like whether you want to donate your organs or not, ahead of time.

Of course, there are many other factors to take into consideration. Remember, it's your responsibility to be informed and to make the best possible decisions about your health.

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Robert Ervin is a freelancer who writes about healthcare, medical tourism, and living in Mexico.

If you're considering traveling to Mexico for healthcare or retiring in Mexico, you may want to get yourself a copy of The English's Speaker's Guide to Doctors and Hospitals in Mexico, in order to find a good doctor or hospital in the main towns and cities of Mexico, or The English Speaker's Guide to Medical Care in Mexico, to understand how the Mexican healthcare system works. 

Canadians Going to Mexico to Get Weight Loss Surgery.

Nanci Walsh and Brie Puleston went to Puerto Vallarta for vertical sleeve gastrectomies.

CBC News announced yesterday that there's an increase in Canadians from British Columbia going to Mexico in order to get weight loss surgery.

The reason is that the waiting time for weight lost surgery is too long. It's not uncommon to be on a waiting list for 4 years or more, even when the surgery is needed for medical conditions, such as risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. To make matters worse, the number of bariatric surgeries has dropped by 50% in the last 4 years.

Having these procedures done in Canada is not a possibility for most people. And in the US, the price is very high. A vertical sleeve gastrectomy costs anywhere from 18,000 to 30,000 Canadian dollars. In Mexico, the procedure costs around $5,000 Canadian dollars.

Preparing for the trip

That still doesn't mean that Mexico is a cheap and forget-about-the-problem solution. Many patients are attracted by the price and the idealized figure they expect to have. Before going to Mexico, a patient has to know the requirements and follow-up care. As with all types of surgery, there are risks and there may be complications. A patient is expected to study and analyze these risks before the procedure.

Dr. Daniel Birch, a doctor who kept track of medical tourists who suffered complications said in a study:

""It's never a pleasant experience to be staring in the eyes of a patient who clearly had not thought this through and is now faced with some very challenging decisions."

Dr. Birch says that one of the main reasons that patients go to Mexico for this operation is because obesity is not usually recognized as a chronic disease.

Want to know more? Read about the attack of the one-inch scorpion.

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Robert Ervin is a freelancer who writes about healthcare, medical tourism, and living in Mexico.

If you're considering traveling to Mexico for healthcare or retiring in Mexico, you may want to get yourself a copy of The English's Speaker's Guide to Doctors and Hospitals in Mexico, in order to find a good doctor or hospital in the main towns and cities of Mexico, or The English Speaker's Guide to Medical Care in Mexico, to understand how the Mexican healthcare system works.