Last week, a trip to Mexico for cheap tummy tuck surgeries turned tragic when a group of four people were stopped by a drug cartel. Two people were killed, and the other two were held captive for several days before they were rescued. The tragedy is shining light on the risky phenomenon of medical tourism.
The practice is becoming more common. Every year, more than a million Americans venture across the border into Mexico to save up to 70 percent on elective care procedures. But SLU Care's Dr. Fred Buckhold says there's a good reason health care costs more in the United States.
"When you see a doctor, you're seeing someone that has nominally — and usually at a bare minimum — seven years of training to practice the way they are set to practice," he said. "And it's markedly different — somebody may have a year of training, or training at a place that's less regulated. You don't know the quality, the substance of the person that's taking care of you as well. And that, to me, carries a huge risk."
Besides the safety risk, Dr. Buckhold said there's also a risk of needing follow-up care that might not be covered by your insurance in the U.S.
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