Tag Archives: living in baja

Surf and Travel in Baja California. By: Miguel Sedano

December 3, 2011

 

What you need to know to stay safe and have fun south of the border.

Fun in Baja California

In 2007, violent assaults and robberies experienced by American surfers and off-road enthusiasts in Baja California rocked the avid Baja travel community in Southern California.

That news combined with the very real violence and media coverage of the drug war in Mexico caused many Baja stalwarts to abandon their lifestyle dedicated to surfing, fishing, off-roading, diving, hiking and just plain enjoying one of the world’s most spectacular natural and cultural regions.

Thankfully, the Mexican government finally responded to the surge in incidents in Baja by increasing roadside patrols and strategically combatting and reducing narco violence.

Tourists are slowly returning to Baja again.

According to Mexico’s Tourism Secretary, border tourism increased 9.4 percent this year compared to 2010.

As someone who works and plays in Baja California, I can attest to the increased security and the fact that for the most part, the majority of the peninsula is as safe as ever.

That is especially true in Baja California Sur, which is considered one of the safest states in Mexico.

Last year I took a 2,970-mile round-trip to the East Cape from San Diego with my two teenage sons.

We traveled down some of the peninsula’s most remote coastal dirt roads and encountered friendly locals, lots of smiles, great wave and cold cervezas.

WiLDCOAST, the organization I run, has an office in Ensenada. At any given time our staff can be found in some of the most remote corners of the peninsula or the most trash-infested colonias of Tijuana.

So far we have had no problems at all.

To get an update on the situation south of the border, I checked in with some of Baja’s most knowledgable and experienced travel experts who spend lots of quality time visiting Baja’s nooks and crannies.

Geoff Hill is the Vice President for Business Development for Baja Bound Insurance Services and a longtime Baja surfing and travel vet.

Susie Albin-Najera is the creator and editor of The MEXICO Report, MEXICO Travel Writers and is a Community Manager for the recently formed Mexico Today. She has been published in numerous publications including San Diego Magazine, Latin Style, Vallarta Tribune, Baja Traveler and Baja Breeze.

Angie Mulder is the Program Director for Baja Discovery, an adventure and outdoor outfitter that specializes in natural history tours of Baja California. The company’s destination eco-camp in San Ignacio Lagoon is one of the world’s premier locations for whale watching.

Kimball Taylor is the author of Return by Water: Surf Stories and Adventures, a columnist for ESPN.go.com, and a former Senior Editor of Surfer Magazine. He has co-authored books on both Pipeline and Jeffrey’s Bay. He is a longtime Baja California travel vet with many miles of deep Baja surf trips under his worn out tires.

Patch: From your perspective has the safety/security situation in Baja improved?

Geoff Hill: I really don’t feel that Baja has a safety problem as much as it has a perception problem. Every year I drive an average of 5,000 miles all over the peninsula and always have positive experiences wherever I travel. Be respectful, use common sense and Baja will treat you well. It’s not the scary place the media has made it out to be. I always look forward to being down in Baja. I love the warmth and friendliness of the people that I interact with and the rugged beauty.

Susie Albin-Najera: Baja is an excellent destination for road travel, whether it’s visiting the border territories or heading further south. The real safety issues are just simple road conditions but the toll roads are safe and constantly being improved. I’ve always felt safe driving in Baja, but always encourage people to purchase insurance and take normal road trip precautions.

Angie Mulder: After our nearly three decades of travel in Baja, times have certainly changed, but applying the rules of safe travel has not. Whether exploring the peninsula with guests or pursuing our own adventures, we do not drive alone or at night, and don’t carry a lot of cash or take along expensive electronics. Just use basic common sense. We continue to run our natural history trips without incident.

Kimball Taylor: The safety issue is a tough call. Although instances of shocking violence have decreased in Tijuana and the Rosarito to Ensenada corridor, the discovery of a massive pot farm near El Marmol indicates serious narco activity in Baja.

Patch: If tourists have a problem on the road, what should they do and who should they call?

Hill: To start with, it’s a good idea to carry a Mexican insurance policy that includes roadside assistance and towing. That will give you direct contact to assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. HDI Seguros and ACE Seguros are the two Mexican insurance companies that Baja Bound works with and they both have English-speaking representatives that are ready to assist you. You can also dial 078 anywhere in Baja which is the Tourist Assistance Hotline provided by the Secretary of Tourism.

Albin-Najera: The Green Angels also provide 24/7 free roadside assistance to visitors with mechanical problems. Tijuana, Ensenada & El Hongo toll roads: 01-800-990-3900 Tijuana, Tecate toll roads: 1-800-888-0911

Taylor: By far the most dangerous aspect of travel in Baja is Highway 1 (the trans peninsular highway). Although the highway is being widened and improved in places, it is still just one slender ribbon of asphalt with little to no shoulder and dubious engineering. With the advent of Costco and Home Depot in Cabo San Lucas, commercial traffic and semi-trucks increasingly burden the road. I would advise to keep driving to daylight hours and to refrain from the nighttime blitz drives that were popular in earlier decades.

Patch: What destinations do you recommend visiting in Baja?

Hill: Some of my favorite memories are surfing at Scorpion Bay back in the early nineties when it was still relatively undeveloped. Tucked up in a pine forest at an elevation of almost 10,000 feet is the San Pedro Martir Observatory. They have three giant telescopes at the facility and tours are available every day starting at 10 am. The views are incredible, and on the right day you can actually see the Sea of Cortez to the east and Pacific Ocean to the west. I recommend this trip in the warmer months. It can snow on the mountain during the winter. Erendira is a sleepy little farming and fishing village about four hours south of the border that has fun surf, nice spots to camp on the water, good fishing and is a beautiful area to relax and unwind.

Albin-Najera: Baja is a mecca of eco-adventure, marine life, dessert and natural beauty. There are so many ways to enjoy the Baja region. I’ve visited all of the regions in northern Baja and each area offers something special. I recommend visiting all of the areas, either on your own with a road map or via guided tour. You can have great experiences all around Baja. For example, some of the activities available are surfing, scuba diving, whale watching, fishing, cave exploration, off road riding, beaches, biking, art galleries, culinary festivals, brewery tours, world class golfing and wine tasting. I recommend the Discover Baja California website to get an idea of all of the options. Even just driving along the coastline from Tijuana to Ensenada offers stunning ocean views.

Mulder: Our favorite Baja destinations include the rugged and beautiful desert in Cataviña and San Ignacio. In San Ignacio must sees are the Mission and cave painting museum, followed by dinner at Rene’s. And of course San Ignacio Lagoon, where we spend most of our time. The whales, people, flora and wildlife make it a very special place that keeps us coming back year after year.

Taylor: I recommend a visit to San Ignacio. The town and mission represent both the romance and reality of Baja. With the famous San Ignacio Lagoon and its gray whales nearby, the oasis is also a way station to San Juanico for those heading south and Punta Abreojos for those heading north.

Patch: What are your favorite places to dine?

Geoff Hill: I am a sucker for carne asada tacos. My favorite stands are Los Traileros in El Sauzal (just north of Ensenada) and Tacos El Yaqui in Rosarito. Tapanco in Rosarito is a great option for a steak dinner, and Rey Sol in Ensenada has a unique French-Mexican fusion that is amazing. If you have never been to the wine country just north of Ensenada you are really missing out! Most people have no idea that there are over 50 wineries producing some unbelievable wines that are just now starting to gain notoriety worldwide. The region is also producing some fantastic artisanal cheeses, jams and olive oil. Most of the wineries offer tours and wine tastings for about five dollars.

Albin-Najera: Tijuana has garnered a lot of positive media attention among foodies and food editors as the new gastronomic hot spot. I could be just as happy eating at a no-name food stall in Tijuana as in a fancy restaurant. As a chilaquiles connoisseur, I am partial to La Casa de Mole in Tijuana, and lobster, Puerto Nuevo style. There are many new upscale restaurants in Tijuana though, that I’m eager to visit.

Angie: Outside of San Ignacio, we stop for chicken tacos at Quichules, the best beans ever.

Taylor: My favorite places to eat are the roadside taco stands in Ensenada, or just around the campfire.

*La Fonda,  Las Gaviotas and Club Marena K38 still some of the best surfing spots in Baja.

If you are thinking in moving to Mexico, don’t think more act today.  We Can Help.  Call today 858-433-0561 or email Miguel Sedano  info@rentinginmexico.com the perfect home is waiting for you.

Also tagged , , , , , , , , – Comments Off

Med to Go International – Paving the Way for Mexico’s Successful Medical Tourism Industry. Compilied By: Miguel Sedano.

October 25, 2011
Mexican Medicine

Baja Doctors

According to recent statistics, over 59 million Americans do not have health insurance.  That said, there is obviously a tremendous need for affordable alternatives for those requiring either minor or major surgery.  Despite Mexico’s ongoing struggles, there are a few areas where the country is feeling a positive impact. Foreign investments are booming and now “Medical Tourism” is taking hold and bringing in a new type of visitor and potentially millions of dollars to the economy. With the ease and affordability of traveling south of the border, along with state-of-the-art facilities, current technology, US trained (English speaking) doctors and surgeons, and virtually no wait times, Mexico is quickly becoming a leader in this fast-growing industry.

A forecast by Deloitte Consulting projected that medical tourism originating in the US could jump by a factor of ten over the next decade. The growth in medical tourism has the potential to cost US health care providers billions of dollars in lost revenue and bring those huge dollars into a host of other countries including Mexico.

Leading the way is a revolutionary company called MedToGo International. I first met the founders ten years ago in Acapulco. Dr. Robert H. Page, Dr. Curtis Page and Robert Page Jr. are an impressive family of over achievers who were, at the time, publishing a book called Mexico: Health and Safety Travel Guide

They spent two years in 50 Mexican cities researching doctors and hospitals suitable for tourists. The end result: the ultimate guide for any tourist (or ex-pat) looking for an English-speaking doctor with excellent credentials (or an accredited hospital) almost anywhere in the country. This book on its own is an extraordinary product.

Over the years, the connections they made and the contacts they had began to take another turn. And, like most successful entrepreneurs, the Page family simply connected the dots. Today they are the only medical tourism company owned and operated by U.S. physicians. They have elevated MedToGo International© (MTGI) into the most trusted and credible healthcare referral service in North America, and offer patients surgical savings of up to 80% of what they would pay in the states. (A knee replacement for a registered MTGI© patient, including six days of physical therapy, costs about one-fourth of what it would be in the United States.)

They have conducted personal interviews and certification background checks on more than 700 physicians and have inspected over 80 private hospitals abroad. Only the top 10%, or those meeting the strictest health standards, parallel to that found in the U.S. are selected. As a result, MTGI© clients can feel assured that they will be working with the finest physicians and institutions outside the United States. In Mexico, their surgical partners are located in Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Leon, Hermosillo, Merida, and Tijuana.

The major areas of elective and specialized surgical offerings include:

* Orthopedic Surgery: Total knee or hip replacement; ACL, tendon or meniscal repair; spinal surgery; shoulder surgery
* Kidney Transplant: Live kidney donor already identified and pre-qualified
* Cardiovascular Surgery
* Weight Loss/Obesity Surgery: Lap Band, Gastric Bypass, Gastric Sleeve, Metabolic Gastric Bypass
* General Surgery: Hernia Repair, Gallbladder, Nissen Fundoplication
* Gynecological Surgery: Laparoscopic or Vaginal Hysterectomy
* Dental Surgery: Full mouth Restoration
* Plastic Surgery: Breast Reduction, Liposuction, Post-bariatric Plastic Surgery
Their website (www.medtogo.com) is filled with all the information you need to explore the possibilities.  I asked if I could go through the process as if I was a patient, and they sent me the entire step-by-step. I am a stickler for detail, and I can tell you honestly, they don’t miss a thing. From the moment you submit your information for a quote, there is no stone unturned. From an “education sequence” of emails, to complete travel arrangements and assignment of your own English -speaking “Medical Liaison” who will be with you every step of the way in Mexico, they do this right. This is as professional and thorough as it gets.

Per their website:

“Once a patient is registered with MTGI© for a surgery, rigorous medical procedures are followed. Beginning in the patient’s hometown, pre-and post-surgery protocols are established with the patient’s physician/specialist to ensure the patient’s surgical readiness and long-term success. Depending on the type of surgery performed, accommodations are made regarding length of stay and follow-up medical care required back home, once the patient is released.

MTGI© also provides a team of U.S. physicians and coordinators who oversee a patient’s care and serve as their advocate while they are abroad. Safety and peace of mind are a top priority. MTGI© is the patient’s medical and travel referral source before they leave, while they are abroad and once they have returned home. Each patient is provided an English-speaking Medical Liaison to attend to them throughout their stay abroad. The designated Medical Liaison is available to facilitate communication, coordinate day-to-day schedule, and provide information.”

Medical tourism is quickly becoming a safe, affordable option for thousands of patients, and Mexico is stepping onto the world stage as a contender. With MedToGo leading the charge, Mexico might just come out the winner.
Below are the bios of the owners:

Robert H. Page M.D.
Dr. Robert Page is an Arizona native who was raised in Douglas, near the Mexican border. He earned his medical degree from the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in 1971. While studying in Guadalajara, Dr. Page co-founded the Tlaquepaque Free Medical Clinic. He completed his Family Practice residency at the University of Arizona in 1978. He served as Chief of Staff at Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital from 1991 to 1993 and was an Arizona delegate to the American Medical Association from 1993 to 2001. He is a member of the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM), and is owner of a bilingual medical practice in Tempe, AZ, with a staff of five physicians and 22 assistants.

Curtis P. Page M.D.
Dr. Curtis Page graduated from Harvard Medical School in Boston Massachusetts from 1996. He later completed 2 years of a General Surgery residency at Emory University in Atlanta from 1996-1998 and later a Family Practice residency in Brooklyn, NY at the Lutheran Medical Center from 1998-2000. While in medical school, he did volunteer work in the Dominican Republic and with elderly Spanish-speaking patients at Alianza Espana in Boston. Dr. Page is also a member of the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) and a private family practitioner in Tempe, Arizona. Dr. Page has completed many years of scientific research and is published in several leading scientific journals.

Robert R. Page
Robert earned his BA in Developmental Economics at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in 1996. He has conducted economic research in Argentina, Mexico and the US and completed further studies in Brazil and Germany. Fluent in Spanish and English, he also speaks German and Portuguese. Robert has been the project’s field researcher, spending more than three years pre-screening physicians and medical facilities throughout Mexico. Robert currently divides his time between the United States and Mexico, where he works with Mexican physicians and hospital administration on patient-care protocol.

If you are thinking in moving to Mexico, don’t think more act today.  We Can Help.  Call today 858-433-0561 or email Miguel Sedano  info@rentinginmexico.com the perfect home is waiting for you.

Also tagged , , , , , , – Comments Off

Mexico: The Royal Tour – Official Trailer

September 20, 2011

He’s traveled with the King of Jordan, the President of Peru, the Prime Ministers of New Zealand and Jamaica…. Now, Peter Greenberg joins President Felipe Calderón, one of the most dynamic leaders of Latin America, for a history-making television special.

read more »

Also tagged , , , , , , , , – Comments Off

Valle de Guadalupe By Lorena Mancilla

July 6, 2011

Written By Lorena Mancilla – San Diego Reader

Imagine a valley filled with vineyards surrounded by olive trees. The weather is dry and warm and there’s hardly any wind. There are only a couple of paved roads and people mostly walk or drive on dirt roads bordered with shrubbery. The sounds and sights of the country are subtle: birds, mountains, desert plants — wait, there’s also drama: a turkey vulture devours a squirrel. Oh, well.

Valle De Guadalupe

Valle De Guadalupe

One could be standing in California or it could be Italy, but this place is Mexico; actually, it’s Ensenada, but without the breeze of the Pacific. The place is Valle de Guadalupe, a region with a Mediterranean climate where 80 percent of Mexican wine is produced. The valley is the same size as Napa Valley, but Napa has 40,000 acres of vineyards. Compared to other regions, Mexico’s production is still small. In all of the different wine-producing regions of Baja, including San Vicente Valley, Guadalupe Valley, and Santo Tomas Valley, only 6200 acres are used for wine production.

The history of Guadalupe Valley has been touched superficially by few historians; the original population was indigenous, mainly Kumeyaay. There were also Dominican missionaries, but they didn’t stay for long. In 1904, a group of Molokan Russians colonized parts of the valley and with them came the first grapevines.

During the 1950s, groups of farmers demanded farming land from the government and created ejidos. The ejidos were groups that collectively owned land, which was given to them by the government in order to promote agriculture. At the beginning of the ejido era in the valley, they grew alfalfa, wheat, and other crops. In 1927, an Italian named Angelo Cetto came to Baja California and started to explore the valley. He grew different kinds of grapes and founded a company that mainly focused on the production of brandy. In the 1940s, Cetto produced one commercial wine, but it wasn’t until the late 1980s that the company began concentrating on wine. The serious wine industry in Baja is fairly young, 20 years old. read more »

Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , – Comments Off

New Otay Border Crossing Option “Ready Lane” By: Miguel Sedano

May 2, 2011

Ready Lane

 

Otay Mesa, Calif. — Beginning Monday, May 2, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will open a new Ready Lane at the Otay Mesa port of entry for travelers who have a travel document enabled with Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID, technology.
The Ready Lane is a lane for vehicle traffic that only accepts RFID-enabled cards. The new Ready Lane at the Otay Mesa border crossing will be open Monday through Friday from 4 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. In order to use this dedicated lane, all adult passengers in the vehicle over the age of 16 must present an approved travel card. The U.S. Passport Card, SENTRI card, the new Legal Permanent Resident “green card” and the new Border Crossing Card are all RFID-enabled documents.
For example, the Ready Lane can be used by a group of travelers in one vehicle who may have different kinds of RFID-enabled travel documents, such as if the driver is a member of the SENTRI trusted traveler program, and the passengers all have other kinds of RFID-enabled documents, such as a U.S. Passport Card or a new Border Crossing Card. While only vehicles with all SENTRI members can use the dedicated SENTRI lane, a group with any mixture of RFID-enabled travel cards can use the Ready Lane.
Travelers using the Ready Lane should follow these three simple steps as they approach a U.S. land port of entry with their RFID-enabled travel card:
•    Stop at the beginning of the lane and make sure each passenger has their card out.
•    When it is your turn, drive slowly through the lane and hold all cards up on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
•    Stop at the officer’s booth.

If you are thinking in moving to Mexico, don’t think more act today.  We Can Help.  Call today 858-433-0561 or email Miguel Sedano  info@rentinginmexico.com the perfect home is waiting for you.

Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , – Comments Off

The Five Best Baja Peninsula Beach Towns

May 11, 2010

The Five Best Baja Peninsula Beach Towns

The Five Best Baja Peninsula Beach Towns

Dear International Living Reader,

Live in Mexico and work in the U.S.? That’s one solution many expats are trying…and with a place less than an hour’s drive from  much more expensive San Diego, why not?

Mexico’s Baja Peninsula is a geographical wonder. Bordered on one side by the Pacific Ocean and on the other by the Sea of Cortez, this long, thin strip of land features some of the most spectacular oceanscapes—and some of the most incredible beaches—on the planet.

The Baja is really two states: Baja Norte and Baja Sur. Both have their distinctive charms. Much of Baja Norte, particularly the famous (and infamous) Tijuana, is drive time from the U.S., and has been popular with U.S. expats and tourists for many years. Baja Sur, and especially its famous playground, Cabo San Lucas, has a character and lifestyle all its own.

But there is much more to Mexico’s Baja Peninsula than Tijuana and Cabo. All along both sides of this incredible stretch of land are beautiful and affordable options for retirement, vacation, second homes, and rental opportunities.

That’s what this report, Baja Peninsula Beach Towns—Mexico: Dream It, Find It, Live It, is all about. We’ve chosen five locations that we feel hold themost potential for the would-be expat. Each of our picks offers you a lifestyle most people only dream about with great weather, plenty to do and see…and established expat communities to make your transition easier. read more »

Also tagged , , , , , – Comments Off

Baja For Beginners

March 10, 2010

Baja For Beginners

Baja For Beginners

“Looking after children can be a subtle way of giving up,” the novelist Edward St. Aubyn once wrote. If a vacation is thus a defining microcosm of family life at its presumed artificial best, then it will forever encapsulate your attitude of giving up, or giving in, or putting up a fight, usually at great cost to your nerves and sleeping schedules. It is the family vacations about which your children will brag or complain (or fake-complain) to their friends and future spouses and their own children, as in, “My parents dragged me to Epcot,” or, “My parents made me do the midnight watch on a month-long sailboat trip to Labrador.” In short, this is how you will be remembered.

And so, when we were invited to join two other families on a vacation to Todos Santos on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico, we eagerly hitched along. We’d been to Todos twice before with these same friends, but had since collectively amassed three kids, ages 2 and under. What better place, we reasoned, for preconscious children than a town where the coastline is so dangerous and unswimmable that one stretch is referred to locally as Killer Beach? This would be the perfect spot to spend two weeks pretending to relax as our toddlers charged heedlessly and relentlessly toward the 25-foot surf while we — not giving up, mind you — constantly looked after them.

Todos Santos is on the Tropic of Cancer, one hour north of Cabo San Lucas along a cow-frequented stretch of otherwise desolate coastal road. This is the edge of the continent; the entire weight of the ocean rears vertically upward at this precipice and smacks down on the sand so forcefully that at night, even a quarter mile from the beach, the windowpanes rattle in their casements.

According to my co-vacationing friend, the longtime surfer Chris James, Todos first became known among surfing circles for its legendary waves, which were in fact less legendary than the exertions required to enjoy them. As surfers claim, until the mid-70′s, there were no paved roads south of Tijuana (the stretch from La Paz to Cabo via Todos seemed to have stayed unpaved until the mid-80′s), which made the thousand-mile trip from the border arduously slow and surmountable only by four-wheel drives. Adding to the outlaw thrill was the risk that you’d flip your truck on the bad roads or have a gun pulled on you by a Federale. “Basically,” James admits, “Todos was a mildly scenic town with a great fish-taco stand.”

Pilar’s Fish Tacos is, in the opinion of some locals, the indirect reason for the town’s gradual evolution from a mildly scenic town with a great fish-taco stand into a cultlike destination for an incongruous amalgam of gringos. As local myth would have it, the rancher who owned the land around Pescadero, a nearby village, decided, after the asphalt arrived, to open the San Pedrito RV Park. At about the same time — the late 80′s — the artists showed up, as did the first cafe with the first good cappuccino (still available at Caffé Todos Santos). The increasingly artsy vibe attracted the New Agers and the seekers, and soon after, the healers pulled into town. As Charlie Deal, the structural-integration specialist (i.e., nice Rolfer), said of his reasons for living in Todos, “The opportunities for personal growth here are just too great.” (Counters James, “I come here for the personal regression.”)
read more »

Also tagged , , , , , , , – Comments Off

WFO! Full Report for SQ Trip with K&M 7.25 and 7.26

July 31, 2009

By Chad Baron

Full Report for SQ Trip with K&M 7.25 and 7.26

Full Report for SQ Trip with K&M 7.25 and 7.26

I woke up super-amped at 5:30 AM Friday, with visions of the south swell pumping along the coast and pelagics gathering offshore under floating kelps. I had a bear of a work week, having been in Palm Beach, Florida on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and then working long hours on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday. I was ready to get this baja adventure started!

Having already packed the night before, I effortlessly headed across the 10 to pick up Scott Hall, who was, likewise, packed and ready to go (except for his nine-foot jig stick which proved to be a pain in the butt by sticking out the shotgun window the whole trip! OK, so it wasn’t that bad and at least he got plenty of serious bendos with it, but next time eight foot rods are the max!)

We quickly loaded his gear into my Avalanche, knowing that we’d reorganize when we picked up Reid in San Diego. The goal was to sneak into North County before the morning commute got nasty and we managed to do just that. Along the way we were treated first to Trestles showing us a taste of the south swell and then Oceanside truly announcing the swell’s energy level in the form of exploding white wash larger than the waves’ faces. read more »

Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , – Comments Off

Health-care challenged Californians flocking to Mexico

May 28, 2009

The pharmacy business in Tijuana is still booming, despite crackdowns by the state to weed out illegitimate operators. - John Gibbins / Union-Tribune

By Keith Darcé, Union-Tribune Staff Writer

TIJUANA — About 1 million adult Californians seek health care in Mexico each year – and that figure is likely growing as the recession expands the ranks of the uninsured who are drawn to cheaper care south of the border, said the lead researcher of the first major report on the topic released Tuesday.

These people live from the Bay Area to San Diego County. Most come to Mexico for prescription drugs and dental care, and a smaller number go for surgeries. Beyond finances, other factors prompting individuals to head south include language and cultural barriers.

Living within 15 miles of the border also greatly increases the likelihood of someone obtaining health services in Mexico. read more »

Also tagged , , , , , , – Comments Off