Ten Years ago I visited my parents in Sun City, Arizona with my then 14 year old son. He's grown and handling his life on his own, and my parents are no longer with us and in a home respectively. I still check this blog regularly and notice that the post I wrote about Getting Glasses in Mexico; I'm Not Kidding, is still one of my more popular posts. That being said and the simple fact that all the information I provided with the post is old and out of date, I thought I'd give some new information.
Los Algodones is that town just across the border from California in Baja. There's literally a parking lot at the border provided and maintained by the Quechan Tribe, where you can park in the area of Winterhaven, California and walk across the border for the day. All you need is a passport or passport card for the visit. Minor children with their parents can cross for the day only with documentation like a birth certificate. No one will ask you for documents when you enter Mexico, but you will need them to get back into the U.S. If you really want to, you can drive across this border and park on the Mexico side. Don't know why you would, but you can.
My story in 2014 was about my son getting an eye exam and eyeglasses for $85. The whole event took two and a half hours and my son loved the glasses. Most of the rest of the day that we spent in the town was enjoying the markets and the restaurants. The good news is that now it costs only around $90 for that experience, but maybe an extra $50 for the glasses themselves. Prices have gone up a bit, but not much.
There are any number of reasons to visit Los Algodones, but the overwhelming reasons are medical. Eyeglasses and examinations are inexpensive as I've mentioned. Dental work is another amazing deal in the town. There are some 900 dentists in the area doing all kinds of dental work. Los Algodones has become known as the Molar City.
Then, there's the meds. Pharmacies in Mexico can give you up to 90 days of a supply of your prescription for a fraction of what you'd pay in the United States. They carry many of the meds we all need. Don't expect to find pain killers however. That's one of the few things not on the list of available meds. You'll find blood pressure meds, cholesterol, inhalers and so on. You can get an inhaler like Symbicort for $40. It's a steal for anyone dealing with a high deductible insurance.
So, why does Los Algodones work? This is a combination of factors that happens in few places along the border. The doctors in the town are mostly trained in the United States. What's happened is that there's too much overhead in the U.S. for the doctors to provide inexpensive medical care. When they move across the border by a hundred feet, that cost all but goes away. The doctors working there don't want to charge people a fortune and pay a bunch of overhead for little to no reason. They genuinely want to help people. The solution became moving across the border. It's been working for decades and giving many people a big break on their dentist work, glasses and meds.
The perk here is that instead of just feeling like you got ripped off at the dentist, optician, or pharmacy; you spend your money on a trip. I'd much rather spend my money to travel than just to stay healthy. It's the best of both worlds.
Do I recommend crossing the border to save money on medical needs? I do and I don't. Meds of course. I got mine there the time that I visited. Glasses of course. I allowed my son to be examined and get glasses. Dentistry? I talked to many visitors who were there for dental work. They'd all been there before and loved the results, so I would say a big yes.
However, don't go overboard. There are surgeons there who perform elective surgeries. I know someone who's done that. It didn't turn out well, albeit they did go to Tijuana. They got an infection and nearly died. I don't believe in elective surgery, so it doesn't even apply to me. But, if you're curious about that, do a lot of research. You can't be too careful when it comes to surgery.
As I'd said previously, we spent the rest of our day after medical things shopping and eating. We had a great time. We met merchants and other visitors. We got some great souvenirs and ate some truly fabulous food. It was a truly pleasant day and I would gladly do it again if the opportunity comes up. I don't even need much in the way of any medical services. I just really liked Los Algodones, Mexico.
So, ten years later and things remain the same in Los Algodones. It's a great experience and I still would highly recommend it. Remember to use travelers caution. Don't be careless with your possessions or money. So, below I've left some more current links to help you investigate this unique place to visit in the world. So, grab your med list, pack your bags and enjoy!
https://adventuresforanyone.blogspot.com/2014/04/getting-glasses-in-mexicoim-not-joking.html
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g642246-Los_Algodones_Baja_California-Vacations.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjuqiuyYLtw
https://apollomedicaltravel.com/locations/los-algodones-the-apollo-guide/
https://www.medicaltourismex.com/locations/medical-tourism-los-algodones
https://www.bordercrxing.com/history-of-los-algodones.html
https://www.medicaltourismco.com/dental-tourism-in-los-algodones-mexico/
https://algodonesdentalgroup.com/the-mansion-algodones/
https://www.dayodental.com/destinations/los-algodones/
https://www.molarcity.com/about-molar-city-los-algodones-mexico.php
https://www.internationalmedsolutions.com/service/pharmacy/?location=algodones
https://mediplazalosalgodones.com/stores/one-stop-pharmacy/
https://www.molarcity.com/pharmacies-los-algodones-molar-city-mexico.php
https://clearvisionopticalalgodones.com/
https://www.castleoptical.com/
https://mediplazalosalgodones.com/stores/20-20-vision-center/
https://soldental-optical.com/
https://www.molarcity.com/opticals-in-los-algodones-molar-city-mexico.php
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