I-Team: Mexican Town Offers Affordable Medication and Dental Care
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- by Dana Fowle
Aired March 6, 2019
Los Algodones, Mexico - Americans hunting for safe, affordable healthcare are heading south to Mexico. In a small town just below Yuma, Arizona, the big draw is dental care.
In fact, there are so many dentists in Los Algodones, Mexico that it's nicknamed Molar City. And the prices are right: We found them to be as much as 70 percent less than you'd find in Georgia.
"I don't have medical insurance. We come down here and get the dental work done. It seems to be about one-fourth the price of dentists back home," Minnesotan Scott Learned told us from the dental chair.
Mary and Clayton Travers of Waverly Hall, Georgia made a trip west to see friends and to swing down to Mexico for dental surgery..
Was the facility clean? "Absolutely, it was, if not, better than any facility I've been to in this country. All of their equipment was state of the art and everything was immaculately clean," Mary Travers told us. Her husband Clayton also vouches for safety as a visitor.
"Yeah, never worried the whole time."
Safe and affordable.
Our continuing Fox 5 I-Team investigation finds there are a few other low-cost reasons Americans make the trip, like the pharmacies where the prices are great and you don't always need a prescription.
Richard Morterud says he has been here dozens of times. He's a Marylander, but also a snowbird who comes south for the winter. While he's here he goes to the dentist and picks up a few months' worth of prescriptions like this blood thinner Eliquis.
"With the Part D I still have to pay $199. Here, now with the rate, it's $82. Made by Pfizer. Same packaging. Same pill. I've compared them. Big difference," he said.
We compared costs of a few popular generic drugs to prices at an Atlanta-area pharmacy. Generic Advair here is $378. The same dosage in Mexico comes to $34.09. Generic Retin-A here at home is $198.48. South of the border $26.39. And finally, generic Viagra is pricey in Atlanta at $115.52 for four pills. Same dosage in Mexico - four pills for $3.99.
But here's where things get sticky. According to US Customs and Border Protection and the FDA, these are the ground rules for entering the US from Mexico with drugs.
You can't get a controlled substance and bring it home without a prescription from a US doctor. Drugs that are not FDA approved but are available out of country can not come across the border either. And, there's a three-month supply limit.
At the border heading home this is where you'll see a line that can be 45 minutes long. You must declare what you've bought and have your passport.
And sometimes tourists to Mexico will get what they need then stop off for a thing or two they want.
"People say, 'Wow you look good for your age,' and I say, "Yes I do."
Susan Budz is a snow bird from Canada. She's nearly 60 and has been getting Botox injections for years. She did her research and landed here at the Baja Surgery Center.
The prep was extensive. The doctor showed her the expiration dates on the sealed packages she opened in front of her.
"I've been doing this 15 years and nobody ever showed me what they're giving me or the expiry date," this Canadian traveler told us.
Susan got Botox and fillers, again at a better price, and by Dr. Sashenka Ramos whose resume' is online. The price list for cosmetic and surgical procesures is posted there, too.
Another necessity for many on a fixed income is eye care.
"We have an optometrist right here so you can have your eye test. It won't take long. Ten minutes." Yuri Loiza of 20/20 Vision Center says it can be done one day.
They have all of the same designer names, but obviously prices vary depending on how fancy or simple you want to go. She recommends making an eye appointment first. You can see a dentist or the pharmacist while you wait, because progressive lenses, well, they will take a few hours.
"You can get a lot of dentists, optical, pharmacists. Three blocks. Sometimes people don't like to walk a lot, so that's why they like this little town; it's close," she said.
You can get a lot done in a one-day trip to Los Algodones, Mexico. Appointments. Lunch. Shopping. Secured parking. And some doctors offer hotels on-site if you need to stay. When we were leaving we ran into a familiar face with a fresh and happy look.
Susan Budz was delighted to show us her now diminished facial lines.
"All of my lines. Oh, my God, yeah. I'm in. I told her it's good for 12 months and I'll see you in 12 months. And if she moves, she gave me her cellphone number. Oh yeah, she's mine for life now."
Interested in a trip abroad for healthcare? Do your homework first. Check out what the CDC says about medical tourism. And get up to speed by watching the first part of our series which takes you inside dental facilities and shows reveals an American company that specializes in hooking you up with doctors who they believe are best and safest.
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From my experience of going there.
$500 root canal, My price in the U.S. $3200
Braces $200 to have them put on and $50 adjustment(Usually Monthly), My price in the U.S. $6200 (Must pay in Full)
Prescription glasses $35, My price in the U.S. $237.
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Not a bad place to go if you ask me.
I have worked with various dentist in Los Algodones😊so there for, i know their work by first hand & i would only recommend the best of the best👌We also better any other dentist estimate in Los Algodones just bring us their estimate😊we also give a life time warranty on all dental work, except braces. We accept dental insurance. This is how that works, you contact your dental insurance & ask them if they accept Mexicos dental treatments? If so, have them mail out the forms to you. We fill out your forms, you mail them out to your insurance. You pay us for the the dental treatment you got with us & your dental Insurance reimburses you. We accept cash or debit cards. For more info and photos of our dental work contact me via face book, have your self a wonderful day facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011711166215
I had pay 1000$ for my root canal😢
I found my dentist in Mexico thru an association called Dental Tourism Association, they helped me book, compare clinics, etc.... super simple and better than back home
A lot of Americans travel there for insulin as well.
WE ARE U.S. CITIZENS. CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE UNITED STATES IS A COUNTRY BUT AMERICA ITS NOT A COUNTRY AMERICA ITS A CONTINENT. THE WHOLE ENTIRE CONTINENT WAS NAME AMERICA 269 YEARS WAY BEFORE THE UNITED STATES BECAME A NATION.
America is a continent not a country
Do you know where the name america come from?
Such a shame that Americans, who have paid taxes all their lives, can't get affordable dental or medical care.
agreed... i see this and im just shaking my head at america right now.
I am from Mexico, and my wife is a dentist. I know the costs...for dental. My suggestion..Bernie 2020
I’m in need of an excellent dentist!!
@@shizzle7642
tsanfermin@prodigy.net.mx
I can recomend someone in Torreon. Saludos. You will pay 5 times less.
@@jaquinhamdan3943 that’s great thank you!! Will look into your wife’s office (what’s her name)?and if she could highly recommend the other dentist I’d check into them also. Your an angel and can’t thank you enough! 🙏🏻 🦷
Just gotta be careful which doctor ya go to, avoid shady clinics and you're good to go :)
Theres no Shady ones.
Same in the USA
I was looking for a new dentist since my first dentist, who I used for over 25 years, retired. The first dentist I visited claimed that I needed about $10,000 worth of work that needed to be done. I called my old dentist in tears asking for advice (he kept his work cell phone number for a few years to help people find new dentist). He told me to get a second opinion. That doctor said I only needed $300 worth of work done.
In my opinion, dentist in the United States have no right to complain about Americans going to Mexico for dentist work when too many American dentists are no better than a used car salesman.
So why in USA it's so expensive every thing
Insurance companies.. that's why
@Gerardo Piedras WE ARE U.S. CITIZENS. CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE UNITED STATES IS A COUNTRY BUT AMERICA ITS NOT A COUNTRY AMERICA ITS A CONTINENT. THE WHOLE ENTIRE CONTINENT WAS NAME AMERICA 269 YEARS WAY BEFORE THE UNITED STATES BECAME A NATION.
Because the govt got to have their hands into everything. Private companies can not compete with a dentity that can print money
Because they realize you can charge insurance companies whatever they want and they get away with it. Before insurance health care was cheaper
Based on my experience, I didn't find any good dentist in USA.
I'm definitely goin
So cool that you made a captivating report of us, Molar City! Los Algodones is also known as Molar City, the Dental Capital of the World. We have been guiding, for free, patients from the US and Canada for over 13 years. We provide with free scheduling on the top dental clinics, lodging assistance and transportation too! Feel free to contact us to collaborate!
Dental services are cheaper in Mexico, but what if you need extensive dental treatment that requires several visits... Those several visits would require transportation money, and long wait times to cross the border. The trip could cost more than the dental work. Then having to request time off from work, for the extensive dental work. Also, if anyone has complications after post dental work in Mexico, they cannot sue since it is a different country.
I need most of teeth capped. Deal with a underbite recently. My insurance really makes no dent in the USA. I need to find an option. Likely MX.
If it wasn't for the greedy insurance companies and dumba55 Americans who decry socialized medicine, we could have it here too. But our local Dr's need that new Porsche or the second vacation home.
😢😢😢😢😢
Where I live, too many Americans freak out when politicians talk about how to make healthcare better in the United States. These same Americans also complain about the healthcare in the United States (the cost for example). The United States is a large country, so I don't know if Americans in other parts of the United States does the same thing.
Be careful what you bring a cross the border. I spent 6 hours incarcerated. Had to pay $2500. fine. Didn't know ALL the rules.
Why? What happened?
@@elsiegibbs3441 I bought an illegal drug. Well, legal in Mexico but not in the us.
The video failes to mention is cheap because we have IMSS, free health care.
Hi, saw your comment. Can one see a doctor for pain from stroke and get a prescription like pain patches and come back to us?
@@THEJIG-IS-UP Yes.
Los Algodones Town People are not stupid at all !
Pricier insurance here in America and the corporate America Pharmacist Cartel getting away with your money
I was born in Mexico but I have my green card I go to Mexico for cosmetic and dental
in Mexico you can have medical service of any specialty cheaper and of very good quality and a lot of fun is like going on vacation and having medical service
My insurance is $30 month, just got two partials that normally cost $3000, cost me $425 ea. Cleanings free, cavities $35, tooth pulled $45, root canal, crown $225 is not expensive to me. Just get good insurance.
Which count y. Not in the USA. Stop lying.
You’re a Corporate Troll !!!!!!!
There is no insurance plan in america that covers anyone that well.
FOS
Yeah but you have to earn low wages to pay such low premiums a month 30 dollars a month? What do you earn like 4K a year?
Atenalol..... $?
Open your eyes.
To what?
2:39