The recent kidnapping of four Americans in Mexico highlights a common practice for many people in the U.S.: traveling to other countries for medical care that either is not available at home or costs a lot less. Here's a look at how and why they do it.
— during a trip to Mexico that one relative said was for cosmetic surgery.
This travel is popular with people who have no health insurance or plans that make them pay thousands of dollars before coverage begins.Big employers also sometimes send people covered by their insurance to other countries for hip or knee replacements or bariatric surgery. Some also send people to Mexico for expensive prescription drugs.
And cosmetic surgeries, like tummy tucks that cost thousands of dollars, are largely uncovered by U.S. health insurers. Most of the people visiting Mexico for care are Mexican or Latino immigrants living in the United States, he said.
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