Anyone living in, or regularly visiting, Cabo will know that exorbitant hospital costs are not a new thing. The problem has steadily increased in recent
years with both domestic and foreign tourists complaining bitterly. And
regularly.
Things came to a head in
December 2016 when the US consulate officially blacklisted some of Cabo’s
hospitals. And issued an alert via their website. Deeply embarrassing for Cabo
given that 99% of visitors are American tourists.
Yet the problem has continued. And to date, sanctions and fines have been
minimal. But all that is about to
change. Recent investigations into several hospitals have led PROFECO (Federal
Prosecutor’s Office) to dramatically increase the fines from a paltry $1000
pesos, to as much as $3.5 million pesos.
It is hoped that such a massive hike in fines will stop hospitals repeatedly
taking advantage of visitors seeking medical assistance. And prevent further
tarnishing of Cabo’s reputation. It has
not yet been made clear how quickly this will take effect.
In the meantime, if you face
this problem while you are in Cabo, do not hesitate to CAPTA (which provides 24/7 help and advice for tourists in Cabo).
Check out the itravel-cabo page on Emergency Medical Care. It outlines everything you need to know about getting medical help in Cabo. And it las lots of
useful information on health insurance, and tips from the US Consulate.