22 August 2008 480 views One Comment

There is a strong upward trend in the number of Americans traveling abroad to places like Mexico for healthcare. According to Modern Healthcare, there were 750,000 Americans who traveled abroad for healthcare in 2007 and this number is predicted to increase 700% to 6 million by 2010. There are many underlying causes to this increase such as the growing popularity of high deductible insurance for many employers which passes more of the cost burden onto individuals. Procedures can be less than one tenth the cost, for instance a open heart bypass in India can cost $10,000 compared to $95,000-200,000 in the US. Mexico is one of the main destinations that Americans are seeking international healthcare because of the proximity. If you are seeking health care in Mexico, here are some recommended facilities that have received the highest accreditation.

JCI Accredited Organizations in Mexico

A JCI Accreditation is impressive because Joint Commision is the largest accreditor of health care organizations in the United States who accredits and certifies 15,000 health care organizations in the US.

There are only 2 JCI accredited hospitals in Mexico:

Christus Muguerza Alta Especialidad in Monterrey, Mexico

Hospital San Jose Tec de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico

Christus Muguerza Alta Especialidad is owned by Dallas-based non-profit Christus Health which runs over 40 hospitals and facilities, including six hospitals in Mexico. Along with it’s JCI accreditation they have received certification from the College of American Pathologists for their laboratory practices.

Hospital San Jose Tec de Monterrey is also a private hospital in Monterrey that is recognized as one of the most advanced hospitals in Mexico for its innovation in many specialties and its state of the art technology. It was certified for care by the US Embassy for president George W. Bush during the International Summit Conference for Finance Development in 2002 and 2003.

Improved Quality in the Future

With many US baby boomers migrating to Mexico and more health care dollars going into Mexico’s health care market, look for increased investment leading to improved quality and more accredited facilities in the future. The opportunity in medical tourism has already attracted investment by one of the world’s richest men, Mexican businessman Carlos Slim, to build hospitals that cater to US baby boomers. According to Mexidata.info, Slim’s group bought a 49% stake in the company in 2007 and a new facility in Los Cabos aimed at the baby boomer segment is currently in the works.

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