in case you don't know about holes in the system

[raquelita]

The person who works several times a month for me took her depressed daughter to the Hospital General today where they are covered by Seguro Popular. They were given an appointment for the teenager in October. There's more to the story but I think this makes the point.

[mr bill]

I agree that 'we' are lucky - to live in a foreign land that welcomes us and that many of us have sufficient resources to allow us to partake in 'no-line' private care. What must be remembered here is that Seguro Popular comes at a price which is very low - for my family of four we are in Decile Uno (for I don't know what reason - I expected to be placed in Decile Diez) . Seguro Popular covers a very very wide range of treatments but you get what [more than what] you pay for. I have been treated in the Emergency Room without much delay on some occasions - on another with a particularity bloody sliced calf the line at 8am was pretty long so I headed back to Centro Medico in la Presa. On reflection the micro stitches [for almost cutting my thumb off] I received without additional charge at the Hospital General were superior to the macro stitches from the private, no-wait facility.

Another way the OP could have titled this post could have been "Mexico is lucky to have...." or "Why can't the US provide basic universal care?"

This forum has many Canadian members whose country has a highly respected health care system but as can be seen in this [ The Canadian Patients? Remedy for Health Care: Go to America! ] and many other articles to have its weak points re wait times as well.

[Jzmackenzie]

How about we make a realistic comparison? Let us not be overly critical about globally failing health systems; the outcome in Mexico is not an isolated problem.

I assure you that if I called Texas V.A. today to say that my Vietnam Veteran husband with service-connected disabilities needed to see a doctor for depression, a verified "existing condition," I would be told to bring him to McAllen in October or later. It takes 3 to 6 months to get an assured appointment.

Yes, an "emergency" visit is an option (possibly only to renew medication), but to actually see a qualified mental health professional will take 3 to 6 months in the USA at a veteran's health service center. My father, a veteran of Korea and WWII, and my uncle a veteran of Vietnam, were simply told "Keep a stiff upper lip" when they asked for assistance in that arena.

The best option is to do all we can to prevent illness: mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual. Then, if the worse happens, ask for help and be grateful if any is located in time to make the situation more acceptable. My years on this planet have taught me that there are only "magic pills" in fairy tales, the rest of us just muddle through the best we can in any number of circumstances.

I wish you the best of care, but do not expect that to happen anytime soon.

[raquelita]

I forgot to mention that the mother & daughter arrived at the Hospital General with an order from the DIF psychologist marked urgent. I take Jacqui's point that life-threatening delays happen across the border too, but, living here, I think locally as well as globally. Besides, I care what happens to my friends.

I too have had good, prompt care at the HG for a fracture (& encountered overprotective staff in the US) but that doesn't lessen my concern about the way this kind of grave situation was handled.

After I posted, the mother made an appointment for her teenager with a psychiatrist in Leon. They are there today. I've seen the family rally around before in a crisis, more than some others might be able to do.

The post was NOT intended as a comparison of the US and Mexican health care systems. That's not what the Gtolist is about.

[raquelita]

This is the retitled and updated version of an earlier post to which Jaqui and Bill were responding.