Mexico's medical tourism is attracting American tourists.

Báo Quân đội Nhân dân•30/04/2023

The concept of medical tourism—combining travel with medical examinations and treatment—has long been popular among many Americans. "Molar City" (also known as the dental city) is the nickname Americans have given to Los Algodones, as it boasts over 300 dental clinics and around 600 dentists practicing in this town of just four main streets.

The name Molar City has been around for a long time, even before the internet became widespread and made purchasing healthcare services easy. Naturally, Los Algodones gradually accepted this nickname, and local officials even established the website molcity.org to help potential customers from neighboring countries choose dentists and find information on combined travel .

The large number of practicing dentists and the influx of patients have fueled fierce competition in this medical tourism market. Colorful signs hang on every balcony, and flyers advertising discounted services like teeth whitening, extractions, and dental implants are ubiquitous. During peak season from November to April each year, Molar City's population of 7,000 doubles, with the number of Americans visiting daily equaling the town's population. Even during the sweltering summer months, around 2,000 people arrive daily from border states like California, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Why is this location so popular with Americans? First, crossing the US-Mexico border is relatively easy. US citizens only need to present their passport or driver's license to enter Mexico and return very simply. However, the most crucial point is the low cost of advanced medical services.

“In California, the cost of getting four dental implants is equivalent to having an entire Tesla in my mouth,” AFP quoted Rene, a 65-year-old Uber driver from California, as saying humorously as his first visit to Molar City for dental treatment. $57,000 for four teeth – a hefty price tag. That's also the starting price of Tesla's Model Y Performance. Dental services in Los Algodones are significantly cheaper than in the US. The difference in price not only covers travel costs but also allows for multiple trips in case the dentist schedules additional appointments.

Dental care in the U.S. is funded through private insurance policies tied to an employee's employment and is often subject to coverage limits. This means that unemployed individuals are not covered by insurance and may instead pay significantly higher fees for dental services. A report from the University of Illinois at Chicago found that approximately one-quarter of Americans lack dental insurance.

David Barry, a retired Arizona resident who has used dental care in Molar City for over a decade, says that many Americans simply can't afford the dentists: “In California, for the dental service I requested, they quoted $35,000. While in Molar City, I only paid $6,000-$8,000 for the same service with comparable quality.” In fact, dental clinics in Los Algodones have not hesitated to invest heavily in state-of-the-art equipment to attract American customers.

Dr. Carlos Rubio is one of the longest-practicing dentists in Los Algodones. In 1985, when he first opened his clinic, it took him an average of four months to get one patient. By April 2023, he was seeing and consulting with 30-35 patients daily. According to Dr. Rubio, even after the kidnapping and murder of several American citizens in early March while traveling to Mexico for medical treatment, the number of American patients visiting Los Algodones shows no sign of decreasing.

A survey of 427 American tourists visiting Mexico for medical tourism, published in the journal of the American Pharmacists Association, revealed that most respondents felt that Mexico's healthcare services were of comparable or better quality than those in the United States, while costing 50 to 70% less. Over 400 of these respondents expressed satisfaction and stated they would continue to engage in medical tourism in the future.

Before the pandemic, up to 1.2 million Americans traveled to Mexico annually for medical tourism. Today, the number of American tourists visiting Mexico for medical purposes has recovered and is even trending upwards. This partly reflects Mexico's success in investing heavily and promoting medical tourism as a key industry for this North American nation.

HA PHUONG

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