By Phil Friedman,
Arturo Martinez from the tourism department was at the National Sports Grill in Torrance Thursday at 7 p.m., to talk about a weekend trip to Rosarito Beach, April 9-11.
The trip will feature a surf and pier fishing competition that usually produces barred perch, corbina and halibut.
The key to catching a big halibut on the pier is using live bait. Bring some mackerel snag rigs and snag yourself a few mackerel. Toss one of those mackerel off the pier and you stand a great chance of catching a nice flatfish.
The key to catching corbina is light line. Six-pound test with a trout rod is perfect. A cast of just a few feet is usually perfect. The corbina are in the surf right where the waves are crashing, so that's where you want to present your bait. Sand crabs, muscles, ghost shrimp and Berkley gulp bait all work really well.
Martinez says you get two nights at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, two welcome drinks, two breakfast buffets, two no-host parties, a free barbecue on Saturday, 4 p.m. late checkout and 15 percent off in the hotel spa. The cost is only $285 per couple.
In addition to the fishing, there will be a casino tour, a wine country tour, golf and lots to do at the hotel.
On Saturday, 150 children from the local orphanages will be bused to the Rosarito Beach pier for a day of fishing, beach games and swimming and a basketball clinic put on by world champion Laker Flynn Robinson. You can be a mentor to the kids if you like for what promises to be a special day.
Martinez is making it easy for South Bay residents to get to the Rosarito Beach Hotel. For $99, you can board a bus departing from Wilson Park at 2 p.m. on April 9 to take you to the beach resort. Libations and snacks are included. The bus will depart the hotel on Sunday at 4 p.m. to take you back to Torrance. To sign up for the excursion, call 310-328-8426 or email philip@976-TUNA.com.
Correlation? Sea Adventure II skipper Terry Clayton was fishing for blackgill cod on a commercial trip last week when a spot of 15-pound albacore breezed down the side of his boat. Just as the school approached, a fish jumped clear out of the water.
"I could see its wings perfectly," Clayton said.
This could be a sign of an accelerated season due to the warm El Ni o waters.
"This has to be a good sign for 2010," he said.
Chris Toth of Rancho Palos Verdes was scuba diving recently with friends off Abalone Cove when he looked into a cave only to see a giant eye staring back at him. That eye belonged to a 23-pound sheephead that Toth speared.
The creature thrashed around and mangled Toth's spear, leaving it lodged in the cave. Toth handed the prize member of the wrasse family to a friend who swam it to the surface.
It was the biggest fish Toth had ever speared and a thrilling experience for everyone who was there.
"And the best part of it was those fish tacos," Toth said.
Jennifer Aniston celebrated her 41st birthday last week in Cabo San Lucas.
The actress chose Cabo San Lucas to rebut claims of rampant swine flu and violence. She also is involved in raising funds for a Tijuana orphanage called El Faro.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Merger Creates Baja’s Real Estate Powerhouse
One of Rosarito Beach’s Star Brokers Joins RE/MAX!!!!
One of the largest and most successful independent real estate offices in northern Baja, Your Baja Connection, has joined the RE/MAX network.
Victor Loza, on behalf of his partners in Your Baja Connection, negotiated the merger of their multi-agent office with RE/MAX. Loza along with Don and Sharon Heafey and Miles Smith have owned and operated one of the top producing Real Estate agencies in Baja for the last three years. Victor had the following comment: “We chose RE/MAX over others because it allowed us to place our efforts on our first priority -- helping buyers and sellers accomplish their ultimate goals.”
Gustavo Torres, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Baja Realty had this comment on the merger between Your Baja Connection and RE/MAX; “We are going to see a lot more mergers like this around the country. RE/MAX excels at giving their brokers and agents the most extensive training, the best technology, and the best systems in the real estate industry. In Northern Baja we have experienced an increase in market share as more and more agents have realized the advantages that RE/MAX provides for them, especially in today’s real estate market.”
Loza went on to say, “We won’t need to be involved in the day-to-day operations of an office; instead we’ll be free to do what we do best, and that is interacting with people and helping buyers and sellers achieve their dreams in Baja.” We had a few choices, but after weighing them all, RE/MAX gave us the freedom and the tools we needed to be successful. With RE/MAX we receive an international exposure, marketing tools, a well-established website, and the world-wide recognition that comes from a well-respected company like RE/MAX. We’re very thankful for the warm welcome we’ve received from our new broker and colleagues.”
This merger is part of an ongoing strategy from RE/MAX Baja Realty’s growth initiative that began last year. RE/MAX Baja brokerage was established in 2004 when Rosarito Beach Real Estate, the most successful Rosarito real estate office, became a REMAX office.
“Victor, his partners, and their agents will be a tremendous addition to our expanding team. They have relentless energy and Victor is a nonstop marketing machine,” says Gustavo Torres, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Baja Realty. “They do whatever it takes to help clients sell or find the homes of their dreams. They don’t simply list a property; they follow through until the home is sold. This level of energy and extra effort is why Your Baja Connection has been a top real estate company and why RE/MAX is the right place for them.”
Sharon Heafey, one of the principals of Your Baja Connection, had the following statement about the merger: “We chose to be affiliated with RE/MAX because of Gustavo Torres’ wonderful background and strong community ties,” adding that “Gustavo has done everything possible to make us feel at home and able to get up and running immediately. The merger gives us the opportunity to provide the highest level of service to our buyers and sellers. We are looking forward to working with the respected professional agents that are part of the RE/MAX network.”
Don Heafey added, “After being involved in real estate in the United States, we moved to Baja and found real estate an exciting opportunity for our clients and ourselves. I look forward to joining the Ensenada office and working with Arturo Novelo and the other professionals there.”
RE/MAX Baja Realty is the second-largest real estate office in Baja and #1 in sales in Rosarito Beach, with over 44 percent of the market. With the addition of Your Baja Connection’s team, RE/MAX Baja Realty is poised to become the leader in Baja California. The firm is an attractive option for real estate agents looking to relocate with a proven successful broker.
“By Your Baja Connection joining RE/MAX, it proves once again that the RE/MAX system is the best for all real estate professionals who want to succeed and operate their own business. Most of all it allows us to work with other successful top professionals,” affirms Ana Minondo, Top Chairman’s award of RE/MAX.
“This is a true merger.” Blanca Guerrero, RE/MAX Baja Popotla office’s president, told the Baja Times Journal. “We chose to be a stronger force, and that says a lot. Instead of cutting costs, we chose to grow.”
The RE/MAX– Your Baja Connection merger will result on a better service to you; this merger means more exclusive properties for you to choose from and many more bargains.
RE/MAX– Your Baja Connection provides real estate and relocation services for buyers in Mexico.
Yes, you can have a good experience purchasing property in Mexico. You want to make sure that you have a knowledgeable, experienced, and ethical agent. When you are ready to make an offer there are a myriad of additional considerations and concerns, but if you have selected the right agent, you will have the right person to guide and protect you.
At Re/Max - Your Baja Connection, we understand all these issues; we have purchased and gone through the process ourselves. Re/Max Baja wants to be Your Baja Connection, Our team is ready to assist you in a worry-free purchase of your new retirement or vacation home or condo in Mexico.
http://www.bajainvestment.com/
One of the largest and most successful independent real estate offices in northern Baja, Your Baja Connection, has joined the RE/MAX network.
Victor Loza, on behalf of his partners in Your Baja Connection, negotiated the merger of their multi-agent office with RE/MAX. Loza along with Don and Sharon Heafey and Miles Smith have owned and operated one of the top producing Real Estate agencies in Baja for the last three years. Victor had the following comment: “We chose RE/MAX over others because it allowed us to place our efforts on our first priority -- helping buyers and sellers accomplish their ultimate goals.”
Gustavo Torres, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Baja Realty had this comment on the merger between Your Baja Connection and RE/MAX; “We are going to see a lot more mergers like this around the country. RE/MAX excels at giving their brokers and agents the most extensive training, the best technology, and the best systems in the real estate industry. In Northern Baja we have experienced an increase in market share as more and more agents have realized the advantages that RE/MAX provides for them, especially in today’s real estate market.”
Loza went on to say, “We won’t need to be involved in the day-to-day operations of an office; instead we’ll be free to do what we do best, and that is interacting with people and helping buyers and sellers achieve their dreams in Baja.” We had a few choices, but after weighing them all, RE/MAX gave us the freedom and the tools we needed to be successful. With RE/MAX we receive an international exposure, marketing tools, a well-established website, and the world-wide recognition that comes from a well-respected company like RE/MAX. We’re very thankful for the warm welcome we’ve received from our new broker and colleagues.”
This merger is part of an ongoing strategy from RE/MAX Baja Realty’s growth initiative that began last year. RE/MAX Baja brokerage was established in 2004 when Rosarito Beach Real Estate, the most successful Rosarito real estate office, became a REMAX office.
“Victor, his partners, and their agents will be a tremendous addition to our expanding team. They have relentless energy and Victor is a nonstop marketing machine,” says Gustavo Torres, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Baja Realty. “They do whatever it takes to help clients sell or find the homes of their dreams. They don’t simply list a property; they follow through until the home is sold. This level of energy and extra effort is why Your Baja Connection has been a top real estate company and why RE/MAX is the right place for them.”
Sharon Heafey, one of the principals of Your Baja Connection, had the following statement about the merger: “We chose to be affiliated with RE/MAX because of Gustavo Torres’ wonderful background and strong community ties,” adding that “Gustavo has done everything possible to make us feel at home and able to get up and running immediately. The merger gives us the opportunity to provide the highest level of service to our buyers and sellers. We are looking forward to working with the respected professional agents that are part of the RE/MAX network.”
Don Heafey added, “After being involved in real estate in the United States, we moved to Baja and found real estate an exciting opportunity for our clients and ourselves. I look forward to joining the Ensenada office and working with Arturo Novelo and the other professionals there.”
RE/MAX Baja Realty is the second-largest real estate office in Baja and #1 in sales in Rosarito Beach, with over 44 percent of the market. With the addition of Your Baja Connection’s team, RE/MAX Baja Realty is poised to become the leader in Baja California. The firm is an attractive option for real estate agents looking to relocate with a proven successful broker.
“By Your Baja Connection joining RE/MAX, it proves once again that the RE/MAX system is the best for all real estate professionals who want to succeed and operate their own business. Most of all it allows us to work with other successful top professionals,” affirms Ana Minondo, Top Chairman’s award of RE/MAX.
“This is a true merger.” Blanca Guerrero, RE/MAX Baja Popotla office’s president, told the Baja Times Journal. “We chose to be a stronger force, and that says a lot. Instead of cutting costs, we chose to grow.”
The RE/MAX– Your Baja Connection merger will result on a better service to you; this merger means more exclusive properties for you to choose from and many more bargains.
RE/MAX– Your Baja Connection provides real estate and relocation services for buyers in Mexico.
Yes, you can have a good experience purchasing property in Mexico. You want to make sure that you have a knowledgeable, experienced, and ethical agent. When you are ready to make an offer there are a myriad of additional considerations and concerns, but if you have selected the right agent, you will have the right person to guide and protect you.
At Re/Max - Your Baja Connection, we understand all these issues; we have purchased and gone through the process ourselves. Re/Max Baja wants to be Your Baja Connection, Our team is ready to assist you in a worry-free purchase of your new retirement or vacation home or condo in Mexico.
http://www.bajainvestment.com/
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
How Americans are Stretching Their Money South of the Border in Baja California Mexico
Written by sublimerecipes
ROSARITO, BAJA CALIFORNIA. MEXICO – Many Americans with reduced and fixed incomes are looking outside of the US for retirement and economic relief in these tough times, finding it just south of the border. Baja California, Mexico is leading the trend to cater to retirees, by offering services that appeal to the growing number of foreign residents. These services include assisted living, property and personal care among others at significantly lower prices than in the US.
US store names like Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Smart and Final, Applebee’s and Ashley Furniture are some of which are becoming more common in strip malls around the area. State of the art medical facilities equal to those on the US have been and are being constructed in order to provide quality medical care services to the growing number of foreign residents, the only difference being the lower cost.
The area between Rosarito and Ensenada just 45 minutes south of the border has become the preferred area, where developers are also getting on board by bringing amenities to these new homeowners. Calafia Condos & Villas is one of these developments, where their new tower offers more amenities and social atmosphere for people with an active lifestyle. Plus, it is pet friendly. Some of these amenities include a club house with a TV room, game room, computer area, large gym, outdoor and a private Jacuzzi. These amenities are becoming standard for new communities.
A current resident of Northern Baja, Karen Erstad says “I purchased a second home in Las Gaviotas, (an established Northern Baja community), over 10 years ago with the intent to someday live my retirement years by the Ocean”. When she decided on early retirement and make her move, her family and friends thought she was not on her right mind. Even though she would be only a 2 hour drive away, their primary concern was medical care and the question of who would look after her.
Some doctors in this Rosarito-Ensenada area are willing and do still make house calls; there are also excellent medical facilities throughout the state. Serena Senior Care is a corporation dedicated to improve the quality of life for senior residents in Baja; among their services are nursing assistance and doctor visits, which gives family members’ peace of mind. In addition, ocean front developments in Baja are largely inhabited by expatriates making them very tight communities, who look out for one another.
Karen continues by adding “I can also put my own concerns at ease, by moving to Mexico I can live the same lifestyle if not a better one as if I were still working”.
Karen is one of many Americans discovering the benefits and lower cost of in-home services that the Northern Baja region offers; furthermore, with the increased purchasing power of the US dollar against the Mexican peso they can lower their monthly expenses considerably, here is an example:
* Grocery bill around 250 dollars a month for a small family.
* Cost of a movie for two people from less than 11 dollars including popcorn.
* Doctor’s visits starting at around 20 dollars.
* Internet Access and Cable TV from 60 dollars.
* Property taxes average 300.00 dollars and up per year.
* Game of golf starting at 35 dollars
* Private bilingual school around 175 dollars monthly tuition
* Hair Salon hair cut and color can start at around 27 dollars
Eating out
* McDonalds, less than 4.50 for a super size combo
* Chinese food, less than 4.50 for a “lunch” (enough for 2 people)
* Traditional Mexican food, complete meals from around 4 dollars.
* 5 star meal starts at 20 dollars per person.
Most of these coastal Baja developments are also located just 10 to 15 minutes from the newest hospital in the area. Downtown shopping, and a 45 minute drive to the wine country, where on Wednesdays and Saturdays they offer an organic farmers market. Living in these communities Americans have the same lifestyle as they currently have back at their homeland but for much less.
Clearly, relocating to Northern Baja California has become a solution for Baby Boomers and American retirees against the economic crisis. Especially for those who would like to remain closer to their families and amenities in the US. For others, is just good business.
ROSARITO, BAJA CALIFORNIA. MEXICO – Many Americans with reduced and fixed incomes are looking outside of the US for retirement and economic relief in these tough times, finding it just south of the border. Baja California, Mexico is leading the trend to cater to retirees, by offering services that appeal to the growing number of foreign residents. These services include assisted living, property and personal care among others at significantly lower prices than in the US.
US store names like Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Smart and Final, Applebee’s and Ashley Furniture are some of which are becoming more common in strip malls around the area. State of the art medical facilities equal to those on the US have been and are being constructed in order to provide quality medical care services to the growing number of foreign residents, the only difference being the lower cost.
The area between Rosarito and Ensenada just 45 minutes south of the border has become the preferred area, where developers are also getting on board by bringing amenities to these new homeowners. Calafia Condos & Villas is one of these developments, where their new tower offers more amenities and social atmosphere for people with an active lifestyle. Plus, it is pet friendly. Some of these amenities include a club house with a TV room, game room, computer area, large gym, outdoor and a private Jacuzzi. These amenities are becoming standard for new communities.
A current resident of Northern Baja, Karen Erstad says “I purchased a second home in Las Gaviotas, (an established Northern Baja community), over 10 years ago with the intent to someday live my retirement years by the Ocean”. When she decided on early retirement and make her move, her family and friends thought she was not on her right mind. Even though she would be only a 2 hour drive away, their primary concern was medical care and the question of who would look after her.
Some doctors in this Rosarito-Ensenada area are willing and do still make house calls; there are also excellent medical facilities throughout the state. Serena Senior Care is a corporation dedicated to improve the quality of life for senior residents in Baja; among their services are nursing assistance and doctor visits, which gives family members’ peace of mind. In addition, ocean front developments in Baja are largely inhabited by expatriates making them very tight communities, who look out for one another.
Karen continues by adding “I can also put my own concerns at ease, by moving to Mexico I can live the same lifestyle if not a better one as if I were still working”.
Karen is one of many Americans discovering the benefits and lower cost of in-home services that the Northern Baja region offers; furthermore, with the increased purchasing power of the US dollar against the Mexican peso they can lower their monthly expenses considerably, here is an example:
* Grocery bill around 250 dollars a month for a small family.
* Cost of a movie for two people from less than 11 dollars including popcorn.
* Doctor’s visits starting at around 20 dollars.
* Internet Access and Cable TV from 60 dollars.
* Property taxes average 300.00 dollars and up per year.
* Game of golf starting at 35 dollars
* Private bilingual school around 175 dollars monthly tuition
* Hair Salon hair cut and color can start at around 27 dollars
Eating out
* McDonalds, less than 4.50 for a super size combo
* Chinese food, less than 4.50 for a “lunch” (enough for 2 people)
* Traditional Mexican food, complete meals from around 4 dollars.
* 5 star meal starts at 20 dollars per person.
Most of these coastal Baja developments are also located just 10 to 15 minutes from the newest hospital in the area. Downtown shopping, and a 45 minute drive to the wine country, where on Wednesdays and Saturdays they offer an organic farmers market. Living in these communities Americans have the same lifestyle as they currently have back at their homeland but for much less.
Clearly, relocating to Northern Baja California has become a solution for Baby Boomers and American retirees against the economic crisis. Especially for those who would like to remain closer to their families and amenities in the US. For others, is just good business.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Mexico may become a major 'Medical Tourism' Destination
Carefully observing the changing demographics of US society, Mexico's federal government is wagering that the graying of Gringolandia will give a strong impulse to medical tourism.
"A million baby boomers, as they are called in the US, could come to live in Mexico in the coming years," said Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos at an event held earlier this month in Mexico to mark National Nursing Day.
An opportunity exists, Cordova said, for tourism promoters to sell not only sun and sand but also "treatments or surgeries."
In coordination with other federal agencies, the Health Ministry plans to build up the medical tourism infrastructure during the next two years.
Important components of the initiative include training a corps of bilingual Spanish-English nurses, and increasing the number of private Mexican hospitals accredited by a joint US-Mexico commission already at work.
According to Cordova, eight such private institutions have been certified under the commission's standards.
Although regional initiatives to promote medical tourism are underway in the northern border states of Chihuahua, Baja California and Nuevo Leon, Cordova said greater coordination at the federal level is needed to tap a global market enjoyed by nations including Thailand, India, Costa Rica and Brazil. Mexico's leading health official stressed the new program will benefit the private sector.
"This is going to be an incentive for the private market," Cordova said. Cordova acknowledged that training bilingual nurses risks a bigger brain drain to the US, where some localities are already recruiting Mexican nurses for much higher pay than they receive at home, but he was careful to add the envisioned training will focus on elite sectors of Mexican health care delivery like cosmetic surgery and other specialized treatments.
Pilot programs to train bilingual nurses are in the stage of preparation, Cordova added.
Whether or not medical tourism booms in Mexico will depend on a variety of social, economic, political and security trends both to the north and south of the border.
Continued violence in parts of the border region is likely to hamper potential growth in the short-term.
A big factor will be the outcome of so-called health care reform in the US, especially if legislation is passed that increases rather than lowers costs as the Obama administration proposes.
Medical Tourism in a Tourist Town
A former head of the Puerto Vallarta Medical Association who currently serves on the municipal health committee, Dr. Jorge Roberto Cortes, or "Doctor Jorge" as he likes to be called, is skeptical that health care will be a bigger reason for people to come to Mexico than it is now.
Still, coincidental visits to the doctor or dentist are increasingly important in tourist destinations like Puerto Vallarta. For instance, Cortes estimated his patient load consists of 50 percent foreigners and 50 percent Mexican nationals.
In Puerto Vallarta and elsewhere in Mexico, sick tourists from the US will discover that medical costs are far cheaper than at home. According to Cortes, office visits hover around $40, while x-rays costing as little as $40 can be turned around in less than 45 minutes.
After several years in the US that included a stint at Mt. Sinai, Cortes speaks English with barely a hint of an accent. And he is not the only local, bilingual health care provider.
A city of more than 300,000 people, Puerto Vallarta has a plethora of public and private hospitals, hundreds of doctors, modern medical labs and ready medical evacuation services.
"It´s a lot, but Vallarta is growing up," the general practitioners said. "We have all the specialties. You die if you want to. We have everything here."
A local medical services guide distributed in Puerto Vallarta contains ten pages advertising specialists, family doctors and even psychologists.
On its website, the Guadalajara-headquartered San Javier Hospital lists foreign insurance companies from which it will accept payments.
The companies include Cigna, Aetna, Tricare and International Health Insurance of Denmark, among others.
The hospital advertises birth delivery for about $700 and hysterectomies for approximately $1,000. The prices include one and two night hospital stays, respectively.
Another local facility, Medasist Hospital, charges less than $30 for a short emergency room visit, between $20-$30 for urgent care, and from $90 to $120 per night for hospital rooms. Doctor's fees are extra.
Dr. Cortes is among the physicians who prefer to deal on a cash basis. Echoing complaints familiar in the US, Cortes said bureaucratic delays and nay-saying can make private insurers troublesome.
Typically, insurance companies take months to pay Mexican health care providers.
In tropical areas like Puerto Vallarta, new residents and tourists should be aware of the possibility of contracting unfamiliar illnesses like dengue.
The State of Jalisco operates a spraying program to eradicate mosquitoes in Puerto Vallarta, but at least 13 people contracted the disease in January according to a state health department report cited in the press.
From Braceros to Baby Boomers
Hailing from a nurse's family in California's San Joaquin Valley, Pamela Thompson once treated Mexican farm workers in the emergency room. Nowadays, Thompson's HeathCare Resources Puerto Vallarta company networks US expatriates and tourists with Mexican healthcare providers.
Thompson said interest in Mexican medical care is growing among both US consumers and private insurers.
Interviewed on a busy high season day, the consultant said the recession had not significantly slowed visits from foreigners, especially gay men, seeking operations like plastic surgery.
According to HealthCare Resources Puerto Vallarta's website, several specialized surgical packages are 30-40 percent cheaper in Mexico than in the US and Canada.
Thompson said she had received recent inquiries from US-based insurance companies about sending patients to Mexico. "I think that's going to happen soon," Thompson said. "(Private insurers) are starting to think about it, talk about it."
According to Thompson, four basic types of insurance are available to foreign tourists and residents in Mexico — international, travel, private Mexican, and state-run Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) coverage.
For short-term or winter season visitors to Mexico known as "snowbirds," travel insurance is the most practical option, Thompson asserted.
The former nurse said many US citizens are surprised to learn that private health insurance in Mexico costs as low as $1,500 per year, though a huge drawback for many is that companies will not cover anyone over 62 years of age.
Fulltime residents of Mexico who hold FM-3 visas can now qualify for IMSS coverage, Thompson said, cautioning the public system is overloaded and quality far from desirable. Still, she said, IMSS insurance is "absolutely better than nothing.
" For the truly destitute foreigner, regional public hospitals will accept an admission.
Given the aging of many US residents of Mexico, the inability to use Medicare to pay for health-related expenses south of the border is problematic for many expatriates and potential immigrants — at least until now. Meantime, the growing size of the US retiree population in places like Puerto Vallarta has attracted the notice of hospitals north of the border, which offer free health clinics in Mexico during the high season to court potential patients.
In conjunction with hospitals, Thompson said she had facilitated transfers of US retirees from Puerto Vallarta to institutions back in the old country.
Yet increasingly, Thompson said she had been witness to another tendency: younger US citizens relocating with their families to Puerto Vallarta.
The possibility of working at home via the Internet favors this trend, the longtime resident of Puerto Vallarta added. "I've had more calls for pediatricians here during the last 6 months," Thompson said.
Intimately familiar with the local scene, Thompson acknowledged there were "quacks" around "just like everywhere else." But the health care professional stood by the overall quality of doctors and services available in the Pacific port city.
"We have great physicians in the area. The doctors here spend time with you," Thompson said. "You can call them on a cell-phone and you don't have to go through 20 people to get an appointment. All the doctors I work with are like that."
In Mexico, getting personal recommendations from knowledgeable locals is a good way of rooting out the frauds.
What about the Old Choppers?
Back in the US, meanwhile, the issue of dental treatment has been virtually absent from the so-called health care reform debate.
But a glance at rates charged by Mexican dentists quickly reveals a continued, major attraction for both tourists and prospective immigrants.
Not far from Cortes' office, and just off a bridge that crosses the Cuale River with its tropical denizens of darting birds and fighting iguanas, dentists Jessica Portuguez and Gloria Carrillo staff an Old Town Vallarta branch of Solu/Dent, a privately-owned business.
Recently, the clinic offered two cleanings for $12 and extractions for $9 per tooth. According to Carrillo, five porcelain teeth for a bridge cost approximately $500.
After three years in business at the site, Portuguez and Carrillo estimate that 40 percent of their patients are foreigners during the tourist high season which spans the months from October to March.
Local expatriates, who include customers from the nearby, old hippie settlement of Yelapa, spread Solu/Dent's name by word-of-mouth and bring in family members and friends. "They like how we attend them here," Carrillo contended.
A graduate of the University of Veracruz, Portuguez came to Puerto Vallarta two years ago after hearing how the large floating and resident foreign population created ample work opportunities for new dentists.
According to the relocated southerner, Mexican dentists must complete five years of studies and one year of social service to obtain basic licensure. "We have very accessible prices and good quality," Portuguez said.
"We have trained doctors. We studied for this. All work is guaranteed."
In Puerto Vallarta, "English-speaking" signs are visibly posted outside many dentists' offices.
Portuguez, who said she studies English in her spare time, assured that a bilingual receptionist was available to help the office's dentists translate with patients.
Solu/Dent recently opened a third branch in Bucerias, a community just north of Puerto Vallarta where many US-born immigrants have moved.
"We hope nothing changes and we stay here," Portuguez said.
http://www.bajainvestment.com/
"A million baby boomers, as they are called in the US, could come to live in Mexico in the coming years," said Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos at an event held earlier this month in Mexico to mark National Nursing Day.
An opportunity exists, Cordova said, for tourism promoters to sell not only sun and sand but also "treatments or surgeries."
In coordination with other federal agencies, the Health Ministry plans to build up the medical tourism infrastructure during the next two years.
Important components of the initiative include training a corps of bilingual Spanish-English nurses, and increasing the number of private Mexican hospitals accredited by a joint US-Mexico commission already at work.
According to Cordova, eight such private institutions have been certified under the commission's standards.
Although regional initiatives to promote medical tourism are underway in the northern border states of Chihuahua, Baja California and Nuevo Leon, Cordova said greater coordination at the federal level is needed to tap a global market enjoyed by nations including Thailand, India, Costa Rica and Brazil. Mexico's leading health official stressed the new program will benefit the private sector.
"This is going to be an incentive for the private market," Cordova said. Cordova acknowledged that training bilingual nurses risks a bigger brain drain to the US, where some localities are already recruiting Mexican nurses for much higher pay than they receive at home, but he was careful to add the envisioned training will focus on elite sectors of Mexican health care delivery like cosmetic surgery and other specialized treatments.
Pilot programs to train bilingual nurses are in the stage of preparation, Cordova added.
Whether or not medical tourism booms in Mexico will depend on a variety of social, economic, political and security trends both to the north and south of the border.
Continued violence in parts of the border region is likely to hamper potential growth in the short-term.
A big factor will be the outcome of so-called health care reform in the US, especially if legislation is passed that increases rather than lowers costs as the Obama administration proposes.
Medical Tourism in a Tourist Town
A former head of the Puerto Vallarta Medical Association who currently serves on the municipal health committee, Dr. Jorge Roberto Cortes, or "Doctor Jorge" as he likes to be called, is skeptical that health care will be a bigger reason for people to come to Mexico than it is now.
Still, coincidental visits to the doctor or dentist are increasingly important in tourist destinations like Puerto Vallarta. For instance, Cortes estimated his patient load consists of 50 percent foreigners and 50 percent Mexican nationals.
In Puerto Vallarta and elsewhere in Mexico, sick tourists from the US will discover that medical costs are far cheaper than at home. According to Cortes, office visits hover around $40, while x-rays costing as little as $40 can be turned around in less than 45 minutes.
After several years in the US that included a stint at Mt. Sinai, Cortes speaks English with barely a hint of an accent. And he is not the only local, bilingual health care provider.
A city of more than 300,000 people, Puerto Vallarta has a plethora of public and private hospitals, hundreds of doctors, modern medical labs and ready medical evacuation services.
"It´s a lot, but Vallarta is growing up," the general practitioners said. "We have all the specialties. You die if you want to. We have everything here."
A local medical services guide distributed in Puerto Vallarta contains ten pages advertising specialists, family doctors and even psychologists.
On its website, the Guadalajara-headquartered San Javier Hospital lists foreign insurance companies from which it will accept payments.
The companies include Cigna, Aetna, Tricare and International Health Insurance of Denmark, among others.
The hospital advertises birth delivery for about $700 and hysterectomies for approximately $1,000. The prices include one and two night hospital stays, respectively.
Another local facility, Medasist Hospital, charges less than $30 for a short emergency room visit, between $20-$30 for urgent care, and from $90 to $120 per night for hospital rooms. Doctor's fees are extra.
Dr. Cortes is among the physicians who prefer to deal on a cash basis. Echoing complaints familiar in the US, Cortes said bureaucratic delays and nay-saying can make private insurers troublesome.
Typically, insurance companies take months to pay Mexican health care providers.
In tropical areas like Puerto Vallarta, new residents and tourists should be aware of the possibility of contracting unfamiliar illnesses like dengue.
The State of Jalisco operates a spraying program to eradicate mosquitoes in Puerto Vallarta, but at least 13 people contracted the disease in January according to a state health department report cited in the press.
From Braceros to Baby Boomers
Hailing from a nurse's family in California's San Joaquin Valley, Pamela Thompson once treated Mexican farm workers in the emergency room. Nowadays, Thompson's HeathCare Resources Puerto Vallarta company networks US expatriates and tourists with Mexican healthcare providers.
Thompson said interest in Mexican medical care is growing among both US consumers and private insurers.
Interviewed on a busy high season day, the consultant said the recession had not significantly slowed visits from foreigners, especially gay men, seeking operations like plastic surgery.
According to HealthCare Resources Puerto Vallarta's website, several specialized surgical packages are 30-40 percent cheaper in Mexico than in the US and Canada.
Thompson said she had received recent inquiries from US-based insurance companies about sending patients to Mexico. "I think that's going to happen soon," Thompson said. "(Private insurers) are starting to think about it, talk about it."
According to Thompson, four basic types of insurance are available to foreign tourists and residents in Mexico — international, travel, private Mexican, and state-run Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) coverage.
For short-term or winter season visitors to Mexico known as "snowbirds," travel insurance is the most practical option, Thompson asserted.
The former nurse said many US citizens are surprised to learn that private health insurance in Mexico costs as low as $1,500 per year, though a huge drawback for many is that companies will not cover anyone over 62 years of age.
Fulltime residents of Mexico who hold FM-3 visas can now qualify for IMSS coverage, Thompson said, cautioning the public system is overloaded and quality far from desirable. Still, she said, IMSS insurance is "absolutely better than nothing.
" For the truly destitute foreigner, regional public hospitals will accept an admission.
Given the aging of many US residents of Mexico, the inability to use Medicare to pay for health-related expenses south of the border is problematic for many expatriates and potential immigrants — at least until now. Meantime, the growing size of the US retiree population in places like Puerto Vallarta has attracted the notice of hospitals north of the border, which offer free health clinics in Mexico during the high season to court potential patients.
In conjunction with hospitals, Thompson said she had facilitated transfers of US retirees from Puerto Vallarta to institutions back in the old country.
Yet increasingly, Thompson said she had been witness to another tendency: younger US citizens relocating with their families to Puerto Vallarta.
The possibility of working at home via the Internet favors this trend, the longtime resident of Puerto Vallarta added. "I've had more calls for pediatricians here during the last 6 months," Thompson said.
Intimately familiar with the local scene, Thompson acknowledged there were "quacks" around "just like everywhere else." But the health care professional stood by the overall quality of doctors and services available in the Pacific port city.
"We have great physicians in the area. The doctors here spend time with you," Thompson said. "You can call them on a cell-phone and you don't have to go through 20 people to get an appointment. All the doctors I work with are like that."
In Mexico, getting personal recommendations from knowledgeable locals is a good way of rooting out the frauds.
What about the Old Choppers?
Back in the US, meanwhile, the issue of dental treatment has been virtually absent from the so-called health care reform debate.
But a glance at rates charged by Mexican dentists quickly reveals a continued, major attraction for both tourists and prospective immigrants.
Not far from Cortes' office, and just off a bridge that crosses the Cuale River with its tropical denizens of darting birds and fighting iguanas, dentists Jessica Portuguez and Gloria Carrillo staff an Old Town Vallarta branch of Solu/Dent, a privately-owned business.
Recently, the clinic offered two cleanings for $12 and extractions for $9 per tooth. According to Carrillo, five porcelain teeth for a bridge cost approximately $500.
After three years in business at the site, Portuguez and Carrillo estimate that 40 percent of their patients are foreigners during the tourist high season which spans the months from October to March.
Local expatriates, who include customers from the nearby, old hippie settlement of Yelapa, spread Solu/Dent's name by word-of-mouth and bring in family members and friends. "They like how we attend them here," Carrillo contended.
A graduate of the University of Veracruz, Portuguez came to Puerto Vallarta two years ago after hearing how the large floating and resident foreign population created ample work opportunities for new dentists.
According to the relocated southerner, Mexican dentists must complete five years of studies and one year of social service to obtain basic licensure. "We have very accessible prices and good quality," Portuguez said.
"We have trained doctors. We studied for this. All work is guaranteed."
In Puerto Vallarta, "English-speaking" signs are visibly posted outside many dentists' offices.
Portuguez, who said she studies English in her spare time, assured that a bilingual receptionist was available to help the office's dentists translate with patients.
Solu/Dent recently opened a third branch in Bucerias, a community just north of Puerto Vallarta where many US-born immigrants have moved.
"We hope nothing changes and we stay here," Portuguez said.
http://www.bajainvestment.com/
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