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• Consider purchasing medical evacuation insurance.
• Pack a medical kit with all your necessary medication and hand-carry it on the airplane, if traveling by air.
• Make a copy of the identification page of your passport and retain it at home.
• With needles now considered potential weapons, diabetics who require injections should notify the airline before traveling, remind the attendant at check-in, and bring a letter from your doctor for treatment.
Insurance
Insurance in México is a very important, yet often unclear matter for many visitors and residents. There are different types of coverage and policies to consider. You can choose protection for losses, resident or travel medical coverage, protection of your home or business, and even marine, aviation, or evacuation protection. Be sure to check into your coverage before traveling. For example, if you have a rare blood disease and your insurance in the United States is paying a hefty monthly amount for medications, think twice before deciding to move to Los Cabos. That type of condition most probably would not be covered. The bilingual personnel at International Insurance Services can answer all your questions, including questions about SkyMed air ambulance services that will take you all the way home in case of an emergency. Located in Plaza del Rey, Suite 6, Km. 6.3 on the Transpeninsular Highway in Cabo San Lucas, and in the Executive Center, Suite 226 at Las Tiendas de Palmilla. (624) 143-1212.
Safe Stay
You obviously want to enjoy your vacation and not spend it feeling poorly while your friends are enjoying themselves. Here are some basic tips to consider when traveling in any foreign country.
• Carry identification on you, preferably your passport; keep a copy somewhere else in case of loss.
• Carry a card indicating whom to contact in case of an emergency.
• Even though México has made great inroads toward sanitation, i.e., purified running water in major hotels, it is still wise not to drink tap water. Bottled water is usually available. Most restaurants provide purified water as their “house” water. When in doubt, buy bottled water.
• Wash your hands often.
• Take care in eating spicy foods or overindulging in drinking alcohol, especially if your system is not used to it.
• Do not eat food from the street vendors.
Doctors
There are physicians in every professional field of medicine in Los Cabos, including, but not limited to, chiropractors, holistic care, nutrition, mental health, massage therapy, and eye care. In an emergency, the doctor at the hospital will refer a specialist for any follow-up procedures. For house calls to homes, businesses, or hotel rooms, Dr. James McAllister is a board certified physician who offers professional on-site medical treatment. Cellular: (044)-624-141-6176.
Pharmacies
Many visitors travel to México for more than a vacation. Many are drawn by significant medication cost savings. If you decide to buy prescription medications, be careful when buying them, and be sure to follow the rules for taking them back. There are pharmacies on every corner. You will find the prices to be competitive at most of these locations. It’s a good idea to stay away from those that are off the usual tourist path, especially if the prices seem much lower. Remember, you get what you pay for. That doesn’t mean you can’t find medications at a much lower price than what you would pay north of the border. Keep in mind, that importation of prescription medications into the United States for distribution and sale is prohibited. The medications that are typically allowed must be for the patient’s own use (generally not more than a 3-month supply), must be in the originally dispensed container, not be for commercialization, and the product must not represent an unreasonable risk. An important fact to remember: all medication should be taken under the care of a physician.
The Medical Vacation
The word is out about the new phenomenon of medical tourism. Many visitors to Los Cabos come specifically for health or enhancement services that are found to be less expensive than back home. Consider dental services. A smile makeover can enhance confidence, career success, romance, and give a younger appearance. There’s never been a better time to discover how life changing a dazzling smile can be. At 50% less for crowns, bridges, implants, dentures, fillings and other treatments, no wonder patients fly in from as far away as Hawaii on a regular basis to combine holiday with health. You can enjoy huge savings on premium dental work. Doctor Rosa Peña has over 25 years of professional experience. She and her award-winning staff have been featured on ABC’s “Good Morning America” as a premier dental vacation clinic in México. Angel’s Touch Dental Clinic is located in San José del Cabo in Plaza Dorada. (624) 142-6192; from the US 1 (866) 331-3996. www.angelsdental.com.
A Makeover
You need not be rich or famous to improve the way you look. Would you like to erase a few years from your face? Restore a youthful look? Looking good and feeling good was never easier or more affordable. Men, as well as women, seek professional plastic surgeons in México, and Los Cabos has some of the finest. Not only can you save thousands of dollars on services, you can combine a relaxing vacation with a facelift or other enhancement and recuperate in paradise. The money you save pays for your vacation. Miguel Angel Gonzalez, M.D., P.C. is a highly qualified board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, having received his degree from the internationally renowned Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Institute in Guadalajara, México. Dr. Gonzalez completed plastic surgery fellowships at the Maricopa County Medical Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, and at the University of California in San Diego (UCSD). He remains current in the latest techniques by attending postdoctoral seminars around the world. His services include botox, face and neck lifts, eye and nose surgery, liposuction, scar revision, reconstructive breast surgery, including lift, reduction, and augmentation, and many other related procedures. Miguelangelo Plastic Surgery Clinic is located in Cabo San Lucas at Km. 6.7 Transpeninsular Highway. 1-800-386-2226 or (624) 104-3583-84. www.miguelangeloclinic.com.
Whatever your reasons for visiting or residing in Los Cabos, enjoy life and stay healthy!
CHARTS:
In Case of Illness or Accident
Accidents happen, at home, on the road, even while on vacation. Who do you call? Where do you go in an emergency? First, check with your hotel concierge for reputable physicians. Make sure the facility is clean and the staff is bilingual. Check that your insurance will be accepted and if there are restrictions. There are cases where procedures are performed and you find out too late that a substantial cash payment is required.
HOSPITALS AND CLINICS
Cabo San Lucas
• AmeriMed American Hospital: Emergency Phone: (624) 105-8500. Hospital Phone: (624) 143-9670. 24-hour medical services & pharmacy. Specializing in care of international tourists. Bilingual physicians. Lazaro Cardenas, Edificio Pioneros. Major credit cards honored.
• Hospital de Especialidades: Emergency Phone: (624) 143-3434 or Cell: 044-624-147-0911. Hospital Phone: (624) 143-7777. 24-hour medical services. Ambulance, air evacuation, emergency room, specialty physicians, hotel calls. Lopez Mateos between Leona Vicario & Morelos, downtown Cabo San Lucas. Major credit cards accepted.
• World Class Clinic (formerly Balboa Hospital & Walk-In Clinic): Operated by Tourist Medical Assistance (Matzalan, Houston, Cabo San Lucas). (624) 143-5900. 24-hour medical services. Located Lázaro Cárdenas near El Bordo. US & Canadian insurance and major credit cards honored.
• Centro Medico Center (CMC). Emergency Phone: (624) 143-9727. Bilingual doctors on staff. General practice, cardiology, trauma & orthopedics, plastic & reconstructive surgery, gynecology & obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, internal medicine. Emergency room, laboratory, X-rays, air & ground transportation. Major credit cards accepted for most services.
San José del Cabo
• AmeriMed American Hospital: Emergency Phone: (624) 105-8550. 24-hour medical services & pharmacy. Specializing in care of international tourists. Bilingual physicians. Plaza Patio CaboLey. Major credit cards honored.
• Medica Los Cabos: (624) 142-2770. 24-hour emergency response. Most insurance policies accepted. Hotel & house calls. Bilingual. #148 Zaragoza. Most major credit cards accepted.
• Walk-in Mediclinic: Quick Response: (624) 130-7011. Emergency, pharmacy, ambulance. Km. 28, Transpeninsular Highway, #3 El Zalate Plaza. Major credit cards honored.
By Sandra Berry
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