The American Medical Care Center is the only hospital/clinic that has been confirmed to take U.S. health insurance.  Other hospitals/clinics say that they do but from the information that we have received, they tend to find excuses to expect cash or credit card payment for services rendered.

The American Medical Care Center is located at K.M 8, Plaza Quetzal in front of the Presidente Hotel, next to Dominos Pizza.  Their phone number is 011-52-98-83-0113.  They take great pride in providing quality service and a team approach.  They have brought together a team of physicians that are 100% professional and “simply the best” to guarantee total CARE for their patients.  They believe the best hospital is one built around the reputation of its staff, because a hospital is only as good as its doctors.

Some of the services that they provide include:

• American and Mexican doctors and specialists trained to resolve anything from a simple cold to a life threatening emergency
• An American facility with international standards of cleanliness and comfort as well as modern equipment for medical emergencies and hospitalizations
• They facilitate medical care with the approval of your insurance company and primary care physician in your area in order to assure that their patients do not worry about elevated care costs while on vacation
• THEY WILL COORDINATE AIR EVACUATIONS IF REQUIRED FOR LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCIES AS WELL AS GROUND AMBULANCES AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY!!!

Students should be aware that when they arrive in Mexico they should heed the following:

• Do not drink the tap water no matter what your hotel says about the water at the hotel
• Normally ice in drinks is OK
• Never go out at night alone or become separated from your group of friends, especially girls
• Never eat food from the street vendors
• Bring identification for health insurance, an insurance card.  Should you not do this, you will be expected to pay cash up front for the medical expenses you incur while being helped.  The American Medical Care Center is the only company that will accept health insurance, some of the other hospitals say they do, but when it comes down to paying the bill, they will give an excuse for wanting all of the payment in cash or by credit card
• Never swim alone in the ocean and avoid strong currents, look for the flags on the beach - yellow is caution, red is dangerous, black means do not swim in that area and white means it is safe.
• If you rent a car, you should take out the extra insurance

Dr. Michael K. McFall, M.D.