According to a September 1, 2009 USA
Today
article entitled, "Mexico's health care lures
Americans", the report states that between
40,000 and 80,000 retirees are moving to Mexico to
enroll in the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMMS)
program. "It
sounds almost too good to be true: a health care plan
with no limits, no deductibles, free medicines, tests,
X-rays, eyeglasses, even dental work — all for a flat
fee of $250 or less a year."
This policy is also available for
Mexico residents. With a system that is designed
to care for masses of people for such low rates, the
financial incentive in Mexico is to "fix their
problem" rather than to continue to treat
symptoms. There
is a greater incentive to say fix a "gall bladder"
problem with a $5.00 olive oil gall bladder flush
rather than scheduling surgery for the removal of gall
bladder. That's not to say that the Mexican
facilities are not equipped for these types of
surgeries, because they are' and in many places they
want the best equipment and procedures so that the
patients do not have to come back.
The United
States medical payment system is built around
insurance reimbursement. This structure
represent 1/6 of the total US economy making medicine
and treatment of disease "big business".
Insurance companies gather premiums, doctors provide
services and bill insurance and most people do not
have a clue what medications or procedures cost once
they have paid their deductible. Since most
people have insurance, this has become the "standard
of care". The financial incentive of the U.S.
health care structure is to treat rather then to cure.
The health care policies of Mexico are
very different then those exercised in the United
States since they do not operate under the stringent,
restrictive FDA guidelines. Mexico does have
health care policies that control and monitor clinic
conditions and medications usage to insure they are
safe and effective.
With the FDA overhead in terms of cost
and time that is required to receive clearance for an
approved drug, natural, safe, and effective treatments
do not have chance to receive FDA approval as they do
not offer the financial windfall profits to any
company that would enable them recoup their investment
of research and the FDA approval process.
According to the Wall Street Journal,
the price to get a new drug approved by the FDA is
currently $500,000,000. And that’s after a 7-15 year
waiting period to prove the efficacy and safety of the
drug. The real tragedy is that people in the U.S. die
needlessly each day from diseases that have been
successfully treated in other countries for decades.
The system designed to “protect the U.S. citizens from
bad medicine” is also the system that keeps good
medicine from being readily available – truly a
double-edged sword.
In the meantime, until the system is
changed, many suffering patients can find help at Hope
Wellness Center. The Center's Mexico location allows
our staff the freedom to incorporate natural medicine
at the necessary dosages for effective treatment.
Previously proven medicines from other countries are
also frequently used to the tremendous health benefit
of our patients.
Hope
Wellness Center does not accept insurance associated
with U.S. or state government, such as Medicare,
Medicaid or Tricare, simply because
government-associated policies will not pay for
treatments outside of the United States.
The type of policy you have will
determine whether or not it will pay any part of Hope
therapy. To see what your insurance pays,
contact them and ask what their coverage is for
out-of-country, out-of-network, outpatient treatments
for your particular ailment. Some insurance companies
may give you a percentage of coverage after your
deductible is met. It is your responsibility to
pursue reimbursement from your insurance companies.
Hope is available to provide the appropriate
documentation that may be requested by your insurance
company.
After your initial consultation, you
will be informed what your weekly payment
responsibilities will be. Center fees are
all-inclusive, covering physician consultations, nurse
care, supplies and medications administered at the
center.
Hope accepts cash, check, MasterCard
and Visa. Credit card charges will be subject to a
conversion rate surcharge.
For
financing options, contact - click logo for website.
800-504-4053
One Application, Multiple Loan
Options
Loan amounts from $500 to $10,000,000
Rates as low as 3.99%*
6-9 Month Interest Free Loans*
No Pre-payment Penalty*
For
patients with legitimate financial limitations,
please provide two years of tax returns and
financial records to Hope's Financial Admissions
Coordinator to substantiate indigent claim.
Discounting pricing may be available but is
completely subject to paying patient volume and may
or may not be available during the time frame of
your treatment.
Hope tries
to provide a number of benevolent positions.
These positions are dependent on paying patient
volume and may or may not be available during the
time frame of your treatment.
Hope
operates as an outpatient center. Patients travel
across the border each day for treatment.
Arrangements can be made to ride with an Hope staffer
or with other patients who are comfortable bringing
their own vehicles. Patients are welcome to
bring a spouse or companion to stay with them during
their treatment time at the center.
Schedule
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Times are Central Standard Time
11:30 - 4:00
9:30 - 2:00
11:30 - 4:00
11:30 - 4:00
9:30 - 2:00
Coahuila and Texas share the same
daylight saving time changes.
Individual intravenous (IV) therapy
containing medicines, vitamins, antibiotics or chemo
type therapies are tailored to meet each patient’s
treatment goals, The typical daily therapy
will consist of the IV therapy, BEMER application,
time in the magnet chair and on the uni-directional
magnet "the big magnet". After receiving
treatments for the day, patients return to Texas,
leaving the remainder of the evening and weekends to
rest and enjoy.
We recommend bringing high protein snacks such as
fruit, cheese, nuts, avocado, juices etc., with you
to help your glucose levels remain stable as you
receive your IV therapy. You should bring a
large mug so that you consume large amounts of water
to help flush your system. In the beverage
area there is a water dispenser that contains hot or
cold filtered, ozonated water that is safe to drink
and really delicious and fresh. We also recommend bringing
your favorite tea to enjoy during your session.
Meals: You can bring your lunch or eat at a restaurant in Mexico right before or after
treatment, or do as you wish when you return to
Texas.
Internet: There is wireless Internet
access in all the rooms of the center and the beautiful patio area.
Cell Phones: Most cell
phones will access the US Del Rio towers from the
Center, however you
may want to turn off the roaming data and phone
services. It is recommended that you check
with your cell phone carrier regarding International
charges. In some instances the calls and texts
are free but voice mail was picked up as
International roaming charges and issued $0.99 per
voice mail.
If you like to read, bring books or
magazines. Visit our
patient resource center for suggested reading
and research. Treatment rooms have magnetic
chairs, recliners, blankets, and pillows for your
comfort. You are welcome to bring your own
pillow and/or blanket. The stations are set up in a circle to
allow patients the therapeutic benefit of talking
with other people who are going through similar
health struggles. Visiting also makes the time pass
more quickly. Other areas are designed for
quiet for those patients who would prefer to rest.
Two
taxi services listed by the Del Rio Chamber of
Commerce are City Taxi at (830) 775-6344 and Del Rio
Taxi Service at (830) 775-4448. Both provide
transportation across the border. Taxis are also
available in Mexico. Ask the Hope staff for
more information.
Driving your own vehicle
Check
with your insurance company about the coverage it
offers to drivers in Mexico. Many insurance
companies provide coverage for drivers within 25
miles of the border. Hope is only a few
miles past the border.
Staff assistance/carpooling
The
Hope staff is happy to assist you in your
transportation needs. We can arrange for you
to ride with or follow a staff member to the center
if necessary. Request this service upon
scheduling so that we can make arrangements for you.
We automatically provide an escort for you the first
few days as a new patient, until you are comfortable
driving to the center on your own.
Another option is to carpool with other patients to
save on gas and border
tolls.
Airports
Many
of our patients are from out of state and choose to
fly instead of drive to Texas. If you do fly and end
up renting a car for local transportation, many
rental companies will not allow their cars to cross
the border or will charge astronomical insurance
prices in order to do so. If this is your
situation, let us know and we’ll arrange for a staff
member to drive you across the border.
IMPORTANT: Do NOT attempt to cross the
border with firearms or ammunition of any kind. You
will be arrested by the Mexican government and
detained indefinitely.
·Western
Hemisphere Travel Initiative
Beginning June 1, 2009, U.S. and
Canadian citizens will be required to present one of
the following documents for entry into the United
States by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, the
Caribbean, or Bermuda: U.S. Passport, U.S. Passport
Card, Enhanced Drivers License, NEXUS Card, SENTRI
Card, or FAST/EXPRES Card.
U.S. and Canadian citizens under the age of 16 may
present a birth certificate, Consular Report of
Birth Abroad, Canadian Citizenship Card, or a
naturalization certificate. Birth certificates can
be an original, photocopy, or certified copy. The
same requirements apply for citizens under the age
of 19 who are traveling with a school, religious, or
other youth group.
Methods of Identification:
·U.S.
Passport
Cost: $100 (age 16 & older)
$85 (under age 16)
Validity: 10 years (adults)
5 years (under age 16)
Issued by: U.S. Department of State
Place of application: Post Office
Info: www.travel.state.gov
·U.S.
Passport Card
Cost : $45 (age 16 and older)
$35 (under age 16)
$20 (for U.S. Passport holders)
Validity: 10 years (adults)
5 year (under age 16)
Limitations: Not valid for international air travel
Issued by: U.S. Department of State
Info: www.travel.state.gov
·Enhanced
Driver's License
Cost: $15-$30 additional charge to driver's license
fee
Validity: varies by state
Limitations: not valid for international air travel
Issued by: state of residence
Info: visit Web site for your state government
Cost: $50-$122.25
Validity: 5 years
Issued by: U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Info:
www.CBP.gov
For further information, including additional
document options and requirements for special
audiences, please visit
www.GetYouHome.gov.
Information courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection.
·If
you are unsure whether an item is acceptable to
bring across the border, call the Mexican Consulate
at (830) 775-2352 before you attempt to cross the
border.
Bridge Crossing:
Do not bring your
prescription drugs in to Mexico or back from Mexico
without the appropriate prescription.
As of 2010, there is a $2.50 fee to cross into
Mexico.
·Follow
signs carefully as you approach the Mexico Customers
to select the correct lane.
Right lane is for commercial vehicles
Middle lane is for those carrying only
personal items. Watch the cars in front of
you. You will pull up to barrier gate and
there will be a light. If you get a GREEN light you do
not need to go the inspection area to the left.
There will be a path where you just drive through.
If you receive a RED
light, don't panic, this is a random selection,
simply go to the inspection area and they may look
in your vehicle. They will usually have a
person there that speaks some English, but its
always good to know...
English: I am a patient at
Hope Center
Spanish: Soy un paciente en el
Centro Esperanza
Left lane is for vehicles that have items to
be declared like if you are taking over a gift for
the orphanage or something. As of 2010, each
person in the vehicle is entitled to bring $50 worth
of merchandise into Mexico provided receipt is
presented for merchandise. You may be free to
pass or you may be charged 10%-20% duty fees on the
item.
The Del Rio Chamber of Commerce advises to take the
left lane when in doubt.
Entering the
middle lane is the equivalent to swearing an oath to
the Mexican government that you have no merchandise
to declare. If you are found with merchandise:
1. You will
be questioned and may be free to pass.
2. You may
be charged a duty fee of about 10% to 20% of
the value of the merchandise - need to have receipts.
3. They have
the right to seize your vehicle which some
insurance companies may view as theft.
MAKE SURE YOU
RECEIVED A WRITTEN PRESCRIPTION FOR ANY PRESCRIPTION
MEDICATION YOU BRING INTO
THE UNITED STATES
FROM MEXICO.
As of 2010, each person in the vehicle can bring
$800 of merchandise without duty fees. For
information on what you can bring back across the
border into the U.S., visit Trip Advisor at
http://www.tripadvisor.com/
As when
traveling to any foreign country or for that matter
any large U.S. city, there are precautions one
should always take and things you don't do.
Don't wear
expensive, flashy jewelry or clothes.
Don't
drive around in a flashy, expensive, new cars.
Don't go
into areas you do not know.
Don't
travel at night.
Don't honk
your horn if traffic is stalled.
Don't talk
to strangers.
In the
fifteen years that we have been treating countless
patients and with our staff traveling back and forth
everyday, none of our patients or staff have ever
had any incidences.
Even with
the tremendous amount of violence involving towns
bordering California, Arizona and Texas, to
date, Acuña has not been subject to the type
violence that has been reported in Tijuana, Juarez
or even Nuevo Laredo. A few years ago, Acuña was the
recipient of a cost share program with the state of
Coahula, so what you will see is a lot of sidewalks
being built, streets being paved and even store
clerks sweeping the streets. You will see
children attending school and very few if any old or
young beggars on the street. One visitor's
comment was "I've seen many more homeless beggars in
Austin, Texas than I ever have seen in Acuña."
Unlike
other border towns that make the news on a regular
basis, Acuña is a safe, modern Mexican city with a
population of about 160,000. Hope is in a quiet
neighborhood on the outskirts of Acuña, situated
between a church and an orphanage, in its own
compound area.
Contact Laura at (417) 239-1987 for availability of
the Master’s Condo at Fort Clark Springs. This condo
is a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo with a kitchen,
living area, and elevator access. Amenities include
a fully furnished kitchen, including an oven,
dishwasher, and refrigerator. Cable TV and wireless
internet access are provided. Sleeping
accommodations include 1 full-size bed, 1 queen-size
bed, 1 queen-size fold-out sleeper sofa, and one
oversized-twin fold-out futon. All bed and bath
linens are provided. A community laundry room is
located on each floor of the complex. The condo is
located in a peaceful setting on a private golf
course and has access to covered parking, nature
trails, and a spring-fed swimming pool.
Pinto Paradise Bed and Breakfast is a relaxing
retreat for all ages. Situated next to a charming
spring fed creek with a rock bottom, makes it a
perfect place to sit back and rejuvenate. With its
own wooded area, it is the perfect get-away. The
local wildlife provide hours of stress relief and
relaxation. Rain or shine, you'll always find a way
to enjoy your day at Pinto Paradise.
Townhomes, apartments and residential homes
available for rent.
Fully furnished. Full kitchen. Rates
vary, but are very reasonable.
See website or contact Anna for more
information.
Microwave/refrigerator combo available upon request.
Special weekly and monthly rates are available when
you mention you’re a patient at Hope. Speak with the
manager when calling to make reservations. The
Ramada also has a restaurant located in their lobby.
Microwave/refrigerator combo available upon request.
Special weekly and monthly rates are available when
you mention you’re a patient at Hope. Speak with the
manager when calling to make reservations.
Microwave/refrigerator combo available upon request.
Special weekly and monthly rates are available when
you mention you’re a patient at Hope. Speak with the
manager when calling to make reservations.
The
RV Park at Fort Clark Springs features 85 sites with
full hook-ups, including television and telephone.
The park provides bathrooms, showers, a kitchen, and
a laundry room. Entertainment opportunities include
games, a weekly potluck supper, arts and crafts, art
studio, 18-hole golf course, spring-fed swimming,
bingo, aerobic classes, hiking and biking trails,
and bird watching.
Lake
Amistad has four campgrounds with 75 dry hook-ups.
All sites feature a covered picnic table and
barbecue grill. Fees range from $4 to $8 a night.
“Coffee with a Ranger” programs are offered Thursday
mornings from January through March. Golden
Age/Golden Passport holders are entitled to a 50%
discount.
Lonesome
Dove RV Ranch offers 54 landscaped
sites, complete with modern amenities. Activities
include fishing, boating, swimming, horseshoes, and
pool.
·
Buzzard Roost RV Campground
4411 Veterans Blvd.
Del Rio, TX 78840
(830) 774-5151
Buzzard Roost RV Campground offers 50 RV sites with
30/50 amp service available. Amenities include
shaded pull-through sites, RV repair shop, propane
station, cable TV, laundry/shower room,
western-style saloon, and country/western dancing.
Holiday Trav-L-Park offers 150 grass/shaded sites,
119 pull through parking sites, 20, 30 and 50 amp
service, laundry room, recreation hall and kitchen,
free cable, free wireless internet access, clean
bath houses, playground, swimming pool, and free
coffee and breakfast.
Location: Drive north on Highway 90 West past
Wal-Mart approximately 10 miles. The distance from
the “Y” in the road is 6.8 miles.
Bring
casual clothing you will be comfortable relaxing in
for a few hours while receiving IV therapy. Refrain
from highly fragrance perfumes and lotions as other
patients may have chemical sensitivities.
For
the current weather forecast for Del Rio, visit
http://www.nws.noaa.gov and enter “Del Rio, TX”
in the blank on the left-hand side.
In
addition to a wide array of chain restaurants, Del
Rio dining options include authentic Mexican cuisine
at Don Marcelino’s, a taste of Italy at Avanti
Italian Restaurant, and local atmosphere at Cripple
Creek Restaurant. For a list of restaurants in Del
Rio, visit
http://www.drchamber.com/play/visitors/restaurants.html.
Ma
Crosby’s Restaurant in Acuña comes highly
recommended as an option for local cuisine. Pricing
is around $6 for lunch and less than $10 for dinner,
and the restaurant is touted by reviewers as one of
the cleanest and most delicious restaurants in the
area. It is located at 195 Hidalgo Street.
Another fine restaurant, Taco Grill, is located
downtown, right down the main street from Hope. The
restaurant features good prices, a Mexican food
buffet, bottled water, and fresh-squeezed lemonade
in glass goblets. The family-owned restaurant is
steeped in authentic atmosphere, from the Spanish
tile floor to the thatch ceiling. The waiters speak
English, and the restaurant accepts U.S. currency.
For
directions to restaurants in Acuña or Del Rio, ask
anyone on our staff.
Hidalgo Street, Acuña’s main tourist location, is
renowned as a haven for shoppers and diners. Lining
the street for blocks are shops offering jewelry,
souvenirs, clothing, and leather goods.
Elizabeth Mitchell, travel writer for About.com,
writes, “When shopping in markets or small shops,
offer half the marked or quoted price and negotiate
from there. It is expected that you will bargain. Be
cautious about quality. What may appear to be gold
or silver might just disappoint you as soon as you
cross back over the border!”
Along with shopping, dining, a library, a movie
theater and museums, Del Rio also features Lake
Amistad, one of the largest lakes in Texas.
Forty-five miles west of Del Rio, Seminole Canyon
State Park and Historic Site contains some of North
America’s oldest rock paintings and pictographs. For
more information, visit the Del Rio Chamber of
Commerce at
http://www.drchamber.com.
Brackettville
Founded in 1852, the town is still referred to as
Brackett by its residents (the postal authorities
changed the name of the town to Brackettville
because a Brackett, Texas, already existed). Its
attractions include Fort Clark Springs, The Kinney
County Museum, The Seminole Indian Scout Cemetery,
and Kickapoo Cavern State Park.
Considered paradise in the heart of the Texas Hill
Country, Kerrville has activities for every season.
Attractions include a family sports center, movie
theater, and several parks along the Guadalupe River
featuring swimming, fishing, boating, camping, and
picnicking. Visit the chamber’s site at
http://www.kerrvilletx.com for more information.
A
90-minute drive southwest of Kerrville takes you to
the only maple forest in Texas, Lost Maples State
Natural Area. For more information about this
attraction praised as one of the most beautiful
sites in Texas, visit
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/
Located on the western edge of the Texas Hill
Country, Junction has ample opportunities for
outdoor recreation, including hunting, fishing,
birding, canoeing, and kayaking. Nearby is the South
Llano River State Park. For more information, visit
the Kimble County Chamber of Commerce at
http://www.junctiontexas.net.
