We have been full-time residents of Cabo for just under a year and, luckily, both my husband and I are healthy. But we have had some experiences with medical care in Cabo San Lucas that initially worried us a bit since we don’t have health insurance that can be used in Mexico.
It started when I had a bit of a health scare about six weeks ago. I went to a recommended local dermatologist for an exam and she suggested I get a CAT scan for the area of concern. The appointment with her cost only US$40 out-of-pocket and she was awesome. I felt totally comfortable with her, and she spoke great English.
I made the follow-up appointment for the CAT Scan at the Hospital H+ in San José del Cabo, which is only a couple of years old and had been highly recommended to us. My dermatologist is affiliated with the hospital but has an office in Cabo San Lucas, where I had my initial visit.
I arrived at my CAT Scan appointment on time, was taken back for the procedure within 10 minutes after arriving and was done within 25 minutes. My bill for the CAT Scan was about US$100. Wow, I was amazed. The procedure was far less than my U.S. deductible and it took no time at all.
What happened next was also a great surprise. I was able to pick up the CAT Scan report and film the next day and check in with my dermatologist. She had already viewed the results and emailed me within 24 hours to let me know that she thought everything looked OK. But just to be sure, she suggested I make an appointment to see a specialist at the hospital.
The specialist did a thorough check-up and also talked to me about my CAT Scan results. Luckily, nothing was wrong – big sigh of relief! But again, with no health insurance in Mexico, I was worried about what his bill would be. Although the US$70 was more than my co-payment in the States would have been, it still was far less than booking a trip back to Phoenix to schedule the same appointment.
All of the doctors and technicians that I saw spoke English and the medical offices and the hospital were spotless, modern and easy to get in and out of in terms of parking and location.
So, with such a positive medical experience, I decided to get some dental work done. I was due for a cleaning and walked in to a dentist’s office near where I work and discovered that they offer a full cleaning for just US$35 every Tuesday. I made the appointment for the following week, but a bit of a hiccup occurred when I arrived: they were overbooked. The receptionist was very apologetic and asked if I could come back the next day, which I did, but I still received the discount. They were professional and my teeth felt wonderful after a very thorough cleaning.
By now, I was getting even braver. I had wanted to have my teeth whitened for some time, so through a referral, I found a different dental practice that specializes in whitening. Again, great experience for at least half the price of what it would have cost me in the States.
I am lucky that I haven’t been really sick since we arrived in Los Cabos, but my first few experiences with local doctors, dentists and hospitals have been great. I am more than pleased with what I found.
We’re still going to keep our health insurance in the States, but now I feel good that I can find high quality but inexpensive treatment when I need it here in Cabo.
