Travelers don’t just flock to cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo for the year-round 
sunshine and gorgeous golden sand beaches, the abundant big-game sportfishing and spectacular seaside golf courses.
For many visitors–particularly from the U.S.–Los Cabos also offers an opportunity to receive high quality medical and dental care for a fraction of what they would pay at home.
Health and beauty options like cosmetic surgery or dental work may not be the sole reasons for the vacation, mind you. More likely, they’re added bonuses that can be fitted in between pampering massages and poolside margaritas.
But there’s no question that affordable medical care is a very real consideration, and that it contributes significantly to the overall attractiveness of Los Cabos as a travel destination.
The truth is, medical tourism is now big business in Los Cabos…and in Mexico as a whole, with the sector accounting for a whopping 4.6 billion dollars in 2016.
Medical Centers in Los Cabos
Los Cabos’ growth as a medical tourism destination has translated to an impressive new slate of state-of-the-art centers and facilities.
Most impressive, perhaps is Hospital H+ Los Cabos, which opened in 2016 in the 20-mile tourist corridor which connects Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo (at Km. 24.5, just behind the fashionable new fine dining food court, El Merkado). The spacious modern facility boasts a full range of medical services, from 24-hour triage and intensive care to surgical areas, specialty clinics, laboratories and blood banks, radiology and ultrasound imaging, and private rooms for extended patient stays. H+ Los Cabos also features a tremendous roster of on-call specialists: including doctors in Cardiology, Coloproctology, Gastroenterology, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Internal Medicine, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Pathology, Pediatrics, Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, and Urology.
Hospiten is the next highly acclaimed medical center expected to open and rival H+ for state-of-the-art testing and treatment. It’s currently under construction just outside Cabo San Lucas (near Plaza San Lucas, the corridor based home to Walmart and other popular shops and stores). Hospiten is an international medical group, with several locations already serving patients in Spain, as well as throughout Latin America and the Caribbean; including in the premier Mexican resort destination of Cancun.
Choosing the Right Doctors & Facilities
Even with the most high-profile health care centers, a thorough vetting is recommended to ensure you’re completely comfortable with the quality and cost of your preferred services.
The easiest way to do this is simply to consult the approved list of hospitals and medical facilities that has been put together, and is constantly updated, by the U.S. Consulate General.
The U.S. Consulate General in Tijuana, in conjunction with its branch in Los Cabos, has compiled a list of regional clinics, hospitals and ambulance services that meet their criteria (read: U.S. standards) for quality care. High-quality treatment is rarely the reason for removal of hospitals and clinics from this list, by the way, but rather predatory billing practices. Feel free to contact the U.S. Consulate offices for more specific information about various regional medical facilities.
If the facility you wish to use is not approved by the U.S. Consulate, that’s not necessarily a black mark, since the Consulate generally only evaluates the very largest hospitals and clinics, and acts primarily on complaints. Ask your preferred medical care facility to share estimated billing costs ahead of time, and to provide you with a complete record of their official accreditations, as well as those of their doctors.
Insurance
Regardless of whether you’ve decided to pay for your destination health care out-of-pocket, it’s also important to investigate the possible insurance ramifications for accidents or other unforeseen health issues (complications from pre-existing conditions, etc.) while traveling abroad.
Many U.S. based health insurance policies are only in force domestically, and thus it may be advisable, as a purely precautionary measure, to enroll in a travelers’ medical insurance plan for the duration of your Los Cabos vacation.
For more information about medical tourism and health care in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.
Chris Sands is co-founder of CaboVivo, co-writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, Editor at Baja.Ca, and a contributor to Forbes, USA Today and Cabo Living, as well as other websites and publications.
Photo credit: Hospital H+ Los Cabos.
Upcoming Event Calendar
September
Día de la Independencia (Independence Day) – Sep. 16
October
Sammy Hagar Birthday Bashes at Cabo Wabo Cantina – Oct. 9, 11, 13
San Jose del Cabo Restaurant Week – Oct. 13 – 20
Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 14 – 18
Fiestas Patronales (Patron Saint Festival) in Cabo San Lucas – TBD
Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 18 – 21
Bisbee’s Black & Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 23 – 27
25th Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally – Oct. 28 – Nov. 10
Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 2
November
Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 2
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Life Luxe Jazz Experience at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica – Nov. 1 – 4
Cruising for the Critters (Humane Society Fundraiser) – Nov. 3
IRONMAN 70.3 Latin American Tri Club Championship – Nov. 4
Adidas Golf Invitational at Cabo del Sol – Nov. 6 – 11
WON Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 7 – 10
Los Cabos International Film Festival – Nov. 7 – 11
SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 14 – 18
Día de la Revolución (Revolution Day) – Nov. 20
Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving) – Nov. 22
December
Sabor a Cabo Food & Wine Festival – Dec. 1
Dressed to the K-9s Charity Gala – Dec. 1
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 6, 13, 20, 27
Virgin of Guadalupe Feast Day – Dec. 12
Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24
Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24
Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25
Día de los Inocentes – Dec. 28
Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31
January 2019
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Día de los Tres Reyes Magos – Jan. 6
Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 10 – 20
Los Cabos Pro-Am at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 14 – 18
La Ventana Classic (Kiteboard and Windsurfing Tournament) – Jan. 16 – 20
February
Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 2 – 9
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28
Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 9 – 10
Día del Amor y la Amistad (Valentine’s Day) – Feb. 14
Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 28 – Mar. 5
March
Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 28 – Mar. 5
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – March 6, 13, 20, 27
Cabo Collegiate at Querencia – March 3 – 5
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