Actual statistics from "The World Health Report 2000 - Health systems: Improving performance."
The U. S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks #37 out of 191 countries according to its performance. However, the US ranks #1 in health expenditure per capita, while Mexico ranks 61st in the overall health system performance and 55th in the health expenditure per capita. For years, Americans, especially ones living near the Mexican border, have routinely been going over to Mexico for dental care and cosmetic surgery. Unfortunately, there have been a lot of "rumors and horror stories" told about rampant infections, shoddy work and ill treatment. Rest assured, a majority of these stories are untrue and are hotly disputed by Mexican dentists and have possibly been started due to some US-based dentists who feared a loss of business. According to a report commissioned by Families U.S.A., a Washington advocacy group for healthcare issues, 90% of people receiving care in Mexico report that is was good or excellent compared to about 80% of people who rated the care received in the US to be good or excellent. Currently, thousands of Americans cross the border annually for pharmaceuticals and to receive a variety of procedures ranging from dental work to plastic surgery. Patients who visit Mexico do not need doctors' referrals to see specialists or to get prescriptions for pharmaceuticals.
Because of this phenomenon, some US dentists have begun opening offices in Mexico to take advantage of lower costs and many Mexican Dentists and Doctors have been educated in the US and have become board certified to attract more Americans with confidence. Hospitals in Mexico also strive to receive JCI (Joint Commission International) accreditation. The Joint Commission is a private sector United States based non-profit organization, whose mission is "to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public". Currently there are two hospitals who are completely JCI accredited and one that is in the process of obtaining accreditation. Mexico is the No. 1 travel destination in Latin America and offers a plethora of attractions for tourists. You might want to start in Mexico City, the capital of the nation and one of the largest metropolises in the world. Explore the Aztec pyramids that still exist in the center of the city, sharing space with modern skyscrapers and centuries-old colonial mansions. Head out next into the countryside and take a tour of traditional Indian villages that have changed little since the time of the Mayans. Go south, and you'll find almost impenetrable jungles. Go north, and you'll soon enter arid desert country.
Just want to relax? Check in at one of Mexico 's many resort towns, such as Acapulco or Cancun. Conclude your visit by stopping at a Rio Grande border town like Tijuana to buy items at really low prices. When it comes to Mexico, there really is something for everyone. | 
