Medicaid Gap: Another Reason Why Americans Get Their Health Care in Mexico

Medical care is not something you easily decide to look for in a different country. We tend to fear what we don't know. That's why most people prefer to get their health care in the places they live and under the customs they're used to.

That's why it is mostly when circumstances start to get difficult that medical tourism becomes an option. In the case of the US, the rising prices of health care is still the main reason why Americans look for health care in Mexico (although not the only one).

But another reason is that many Americans are simply left out of the health care system. For example, the Supreme Court ruled that the Affordable Health Care is constitutional, but it left the states decide for themselves whether or not to expand Medicaid.

So far, nineteen states have decided not to expand Medicaid while another 5 haven't decided yet. This means that around 5 million adults will not have health care coverage. They make too much to be covered by Medicaid, but too little to afford private health care. For example, a parent with two children in Texas needs to make less than $3,700 a year to qualify for Medicaid. This phenomenon is called by many the Medicaid Gap.

It is no surprise then that those who can, specially in the South, travel to Mexico to get health care. For example, a basic check-up that includes an urine analysis, blood analysis, and chest x-rays costs about $160 to $200 dollars. Even if you decide to have your treatment back home, you may want to consider getting the tests and the exams in a border town in Mexico.


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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.