I love the free Mexican public health care system that is available to Americans with a residence visa. It is reassuring to know that in a crisis I can see a doctor for nothing.
But the cost of private medical care here is 10%-25% of the cost in the US, so paying out of pocket is never a problem...
And the doctors are a lot more caring than many are in the US... a friend on death's door received a personal follow-up visit from her doctor ON HER BOAT. The doctor came down to the beach and hired a boat to take him out to her boat. Haven't heard of a US doctor doing that lately.
She recovered fully, and with surgery, medication and a 10-day hospital stay in intensive care, the total cost (without insurance) was $1,500.
