| | |  Health & Beauty | December 2009 
PBS Reporter Comments on Medicare in Mexico Debate
 PVNN
December 02, 2009
News Hour senior correspondent Ray Suarez was among the PBS news crew present at the Medicare town hall meeting that took place on November 20th at Hacienda San Angel in Puerto Vallarta.
In a recent Guadalajara Reporter article, Suarez gave his views on the campaign to bring Medicare to Mexico.
| Q: Why was PBS interested in covering this town hall meeting?
A: We were down here already covering the Oportunidades (social welfare) program of the Mexican government, so we figured since there was such a big debate going on in the United States over health care, that this would be an interesting story to tell as well.
Q: What do you think of the campaign to get Medicare coverage extended to Mexico?
A: I left a country in the midst of an enormous family fight over how to provide health care. On the one hand you can imagine that Americans would say, "Spend Medicare tax dollars in another country? No way." But on the other hand, you can also imagine that some Americans would say, "Get costs that are half as much? That sounds good to me." There are plausible arguments to be made on both sides.
Q: Do you think that Medicare should be approved for Mexico?
A: As with the most interesting debates it’s not a question of right versus wrong where it’s really easy to see who’s correct and who’s not, but a debate between right and right. Two different versions of what’s right. That’s what makes it a fascinating debate.
Q: Would you encourage Americans to get medical treatment here in Mexico?
A: A lot of Americans are either uninsured or are underinsured and that’s a less-told part of the story. There are millions more beyond the 46 million who have no insurance, who have insurance but it’s insufficient to their needs. We right now are on the verge of millions more Americans passing 60 and moving into their very expensive health care years. You could see how a lot of them would come to Mexico searching for cheaper health care.
Q: What is your opinion on private hospitals in Mexico getting Joint Board International approval?
A: If people need a good or a service, in a globalizing world they don’t have to look in just one country. What kept them from looking in the past was perhaps the perception that the health care simply wasn’t good enough down here.
Q: How has this impression changed over the years?
A: In the past you had wealthy Mexicans getting on a plane to fly to the United States to get their health care. I don’t think that is much the situation any longer. Even wealthy Mexicans no longer feel that they need to fly to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota or Sloan-Kettering Center in New York or a Medical Center in Houston to get their health care. Similarly, Americans who are going to pay out of pocket are going to seek where they can get good service for the least money. Market places are no longer defined by borders.
Q: What do you think of Paul Crist's efforts?
A: Because of his background he understands the political system in Washington very well and understands how to exert pressure and how to petition the Congress. I have no idea of whether he has a chance or not. But it will be an interesting thing to watch. Right now Americans are also divided about the place of Mexican nationals inside American society. A lot of Americans are still pretty hostile to Mexico at the moment and whether that’s justified or not it’s the truth. So that may affect his efforts to widen the access to medical care in Mexico for Americans. |
| | For more information, contact Paul Crist at paulcrist(at)hotel-mercurio.com or visit MedicareInMexico.org. | |
Americans for Medicare in Mexico, A.C. is a legally chartered Mexican non-profit organization working to bring Medicare coverage to Mexico by:
• Developing and mobilizing a grassroots campaign to influence Congress to authorize a Medicare Demonstration Project for Mexico (the first Medicare pilot project outside of the U.S.);
• Lobbying Congress and the Administration directly, providing relevant, credible evidence of the potential cost-savings to the Medicare Program, and stressing the fact that U.S. retirees living in Mexico have paid into the Medicare system and fairness dictates that they should be able to access benefits where they live;
• Expanding and improving the research needed to build an indisputable argument in favor of Medicare in Mexico, by collaborating with public policy research organizations and health policy experts.
• Consolidating support for the project among stakeholder industries and organization in Mexico and the U.S. (healthcare providers, developers and operators of senior housing, U.S. labor unions, and others);
• Growing awareness and support among U.S. Baby Boomers who may be interested in retirement in Mexico.
For more information, contact Paul Crist at paulcrist(at)hotel-mercurio.com or visit MedicareInMexico.org. |
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