The use of Mexican private medical services by American nationals in the border city of Tijuana. An appraisal of Mexico's comparative advantages over the United States of America
Starting from the hypothesis that Mexico has a comparative advantage over the United States in the provision of medical services, this thesis analyses the phenomenon that is causing American nationals to travel to Mexico seeking medical services, and the main characteristics of this situation. Its main purpose is to determine the possible existence of factors related to comparative advantages in the provision of medical services in Mexico. Therefore different theories of comparative advantage are analyzed in order to propose a model that can be easily applied for medical services. After this, several studies made on health issues along the U.S.- Mexico border are reviewed in order to create a general scenario. Later on it focuses in the use of medical services by American nationals in the Mexican city of Tijuana, in Baja California. This city was selected due to its known close socio-economic relationship to the American city of San Diego in California, and for being the busiest border crossing in the region, with 5 to 6 million monthly border crossings. By using data collected from 10 clinics and hospitals located in the city of Tijuana selected at random, the thesis is able to identify the necessary elements in order to prove the existence of comparative advantages in the provision of specific medical services from the private sector. And finally the thesis is able to demonstrate that, although more studies need to be made, for this case it can be said that Mexico does have comparative advantages over the United States in the provision of specific medical services, such as availability of physicians, good quality and low costs. It is suggested that this issue can become a crucial element for regional development, and mentions possible lines of action in order to promote private medical services towards an export oriented industry, as well as the possible risks involved