Need Health Care? Go to Monterrey

Mexico’s proximity to the United States is proving to be a boon for many Americans in need of medical and dental care. Medicare does not pay for dental work, so that also draws many elderly customers south of the border.

Mexico is a convenient destination for many Americans in need of dental work, and surgical procedures. Prices may be as much as two-thirds below those in the United States. At Los Algodones, a Mexican town on the border with California and with a population of only 10,000, dental offices outnumber restaurants 49 to nine. Similar towns may be found along the entire Mexican border, especially across from Texas.

US hospital firms are now investing in the construction of new care facilities in Mexico, to serve Americans travelling for affordable surgery. San Jose Hospital plans a medical centre in Monterrey. Grupo Star Medica, the builder of seven Mexican centres in five years, is speeding up an expansion aimed at Americans. Christus Health, based in Texas, owns six hospitals in Mexico. Dallas-based International Hospital Corp, the operator of three hospitals in Mexico, is building a fourth in the central city of Puebla.

Surgery in Mexico could change your life without spending too much. Bridget Flanagan, a 21-year-old college student from Olympia, Washington, was left helpless after finding out the surgery cost for an obesity procedure back home. The only way she could afford it was to travel 2000 miles to Hospital San Jose in Monterrey, Mexico. The procedure was a success. Bridget lost 45 pounds off her peak weight of 275 and saved $6,600.

Go Shopping in Monterrey

The shopping scene in Monterrey is excellent. You’ll find many international labels and designer houses in the upper-end malls. There are two artesanal cooperatives that cater to the tourist souvenir market (one on Morelos near the Macroplaza, the other on Hidalgo near the Holiday Inn Centro), as well as UPS stores in several major shopping malls.

The upper-end malls consist of four very large, modern malls. These malls are not unlike malls elsewhere in the world, and they’re usually anchored by both Mexican (Liverpool, Palacio del Hierro, etc.) and U.S. (Sears, JCPenny) department store chains. The major malls in Monterrey include:

* Galerias Monterrey
* Plaza Fiesta San Agustin
* Galerías Valle Oriente
* Plaza Cumbres
Morelos, also known as the Zona Rosa, is a pedestrian friendly street lined with busy shops, small malls, shopping arcades, and filled with street vendors and musicians.

Local character is on display on the Carretera Nacional, heading out of the city towards the Cola de Caballo. A 1-mile stretch of highway near the town of Santiago is lined with small open-air shops, restaurants, and marketplaces. You can get great deals on rustic furniture, clothing, household goods, homemade food products, and just about anything else you can imagine. Parking can be difficult on weekends, but the selection is at its best and the atmosphere is the closest thing you’ll find to the big outdoor markets boasted by cities in the rest of the latin world.

MONTERREY Plastic surgery--High Quality and Less Cost

The great potential of plastic surgery in Mexico caught the attention of health care companies and investors as a new market. With the increasing number of Americans traveling for affordable plastic surgery, the expansion of Mexican tourism facilities and medical centers is accelerating. In fact, Tecnologico de Monterrey, the private university that owns San Jose Hospital, plans a $100 million medical center in Monterrey. Grupo Star Medica, the builder of seven Mexican centers in five years, is speeding up an expansion aimed at Americans...MORE