When Your Local Pharmacist Is In Mexico

Poor And Uninsured Crossing Border For Affordable Health Care; How Would Candidates' Plans Help?

(CBS)  Rosie Perez is a U.S. citizen, born and raised in Texas. So why is her local pharmacist in Mexico?

“It’s degrading. This box would cost me $100.99 in the U.S.,” she tells CBS News national correspondent Byron Pitts. “I am getting it from the Mexican side for $27.”

There are similar stories from other U.S. citizens who cross the Texas border into Mexico for their prescriptions, doctor visits, dental care and even surgery. People from as far away as Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois.

“The healthcare system in this country is a travesty,” says Gana Jones, a truck driver originally from Dallas. Like 47 million Americans, she has no health insurance. Her choice? To live within driving distance of Mexico.

“I can come over here, I can get an X-ray for $25. I can buy my prescriptions for about 60 percent less than I would have to pay in the U.S.,” she tells Pitts.

For Perez, the dark reality is health care in Mexico is her only affordable choice. A diabetic, she lost her job at a windshield wiper plant six months ago. Few if any employers in Brownsville are hiring full time a 46-year-old with a pre-existing medical condition.

Her doctor of four years will no longer see her.

“Suddenly, you lose your job, your health card and then they don’t even know you,” she says tearfully.

From Perez's House in Brownsville, Texas, it's a 20-minute drive across the border into Matamoros, Mexico, to pharmacies, medical facilities and savings.

Her doctor’s visit in the United States cost her $125. In Mexico: $3.

We asked the Clinton and Obama campaigns how their health care plans would help someone like Rosie.

Under Clinton's plan, a person like Perez who has virtually no income would receive government-subsidized health insurance but she would still be required to pay a small co-pay. And Clinton's plan could lower Perez's prescription drugs by up to 40 percent by allowing the re-importation of prescription drugs from foreign countries.

Under Obama's plan, he'd lower the federal poverty line which would make Perez eligible to receive medicaid with a zero or small co-pay. Last year, Perez made $12,000. Also, Obama's plan would allow the government to negotiate with drug companies for a lower price which would help reduce Perez's prescription cost.

Obama's plan also supports re-importation of drugs to help rein in rising costs, reports Pitts.

But critics caution neither is a silver bullet.

“If you’re mandating or obliging people to purchase a policy that they cannot afford, it’s not going to work in an area like this,” says Jose Pagan, an economics professor at the University of Texas-Pan American. “People will always have the option of going to Mexico to get healthcare.”

“People" like Rosie Perez.

“I can get health insurance from a private agency which will cost me $389 a month,” she says. “I would say I bring in about $400 a month working now.”

[nicolexue]

Singles at STDromance.com do have the same issues

[jchave2]

Hey, Mr "killtheliars". You sure are a coward and a louse. You read as either a drunk, a drug addict, or a mental patient. Do you think that your comments make any contributions? I reported you to the WebMaster so they can kick you out and you can go back to milking your dog so you can have milk for your cereal.

[standlee5]

Why can''t Rosie continue to go to Mexico for healthcare. I''d go if I lived close. It''s a great opportunity for Mexican Dr.s and Dentists. I''d rather pay for Mexican care than govt. subsidized care that''s going to do nothing but increase everyone''s taxes. There''s no free lunch.

[leftyintexas]

I am all for Americans saving some money but I hate to see Mexico benefit in any way. It is an arm pit of a country and the people are generally uneducated and un-clean. I say isolate them and let them fade away, then we can go down take what we want (the oil) and leave the rest to the dogs.

Spoken like a true bushie. You''re part of the reason this country will change direction in November.

[frankbowers]

O! I forgot the ones whose S/S # were kicked back the majority were on food stamps housing wic medicade for the babies and what ever state assistance they could get. But the insurance companies refused to except the S/S #, even though the state of Texas was paying out the tax dollars through the nose I never understood but that is the facts, they were trying to USE.--------------- Frank Bowers of Austin, TX

[frankbowers]

So many of the illegal older people who have learned English in the school system tell you they are Americans. I am an insurance agent and i worked in the valley (San Benito to Mecerdes and McAllen and all the other little towns) for years selling annuities, ira''s and health insurance and they were all mexicans I sold too I will wager more than half of the policies were rejected due to the fact the S/S # used was not theirs although they swore they were borned in America I could not write the insurance and after about 5 years of trying I gave up as it got worse as time went by. This was in 77-83 I have a friend who is now and he tells me more than 2/3 of the policies he wrote in Nov. and Dec were kicked back I use to report it to INS until I got tired as they said they could do nothing. Frank Bowers, FIC Austin, TX

[mcapek]

Just out of curiousity, what makes Hillary or Obama qualified to make decisions about healthcare in this country? They are lawyers and politicians, that''s all. No experience in the field. No documented qualifications, no tests, questionable knowledge of facts. Asking person like this to overhaul the US healthcare sounds like a social experiment in the making. And if he/she screw things up even more, like the chronic VA mess run by the government, then what?

[rf35]

andrew_693 said: "if bring the 100, 000 morons that are in iraq looking for easter eggs and the tooth fairy and spending trillions of dollars..."

You, sir, are the number one moron. You think the troops on the ground in Iraq are running that circus? You need to get a little education, buddy. It''s the Commander in Chief and his friends that are spending the money. It''s Bushco that''s keeping us there. It''s KBR/Halliburton making the money for them by milking this war for all it''s worth. For your information, most of the "morons" don''t want to be there.
Next time you want to shoot off your mouth, try targeting the right group. Your statement here just goes to prove that America''s education system is suffering far more than its health care system.

[quetzal0666]

i go all the time,....
i see it as a great opportunity to save $$$
and take a break from the U.S....

[mcapek]

Medical tourism has its own set of problems. If anything goes wrong, whom do you sue? It turns out it may be impossible to sue in another country, so good luck with any problems!! And while the prices abroad may sound great, my wife had had extensive dental work done in Europe (at 1/3 the cost here), the only problem was that she had to have it all redone couple of years here in the USA, to the tune of 10,000+ dollars, and several root canals on top of that.