Paul Crist September 18, 2010 Anyone who has paid any attention whatsoever to the healthcare reform debate knows that the U.S. spends more than any other country on healthcare, yet still fails to measure up on health outcomes as measured by the most common indices.  In the parlance of international economics and global trade, America is not where the comparative advantage lies when it comes to healthcare. Globalization may be controversial, but no one at the WalMart checkout seems to be complaining about the bargain prices found there, thanks in large measure to the availability of cheaper imported goods replacing made-in-America merchandise.  And the quality of those goods must be acceptable, or consumers wouldn’t be buying.  So, why not apply the rules of international trade to save both consumers and third-party payers, including government which pays 46% of all healthcare expenditures in the US.   The premise of globalization and gains from trade is based on price difference between high-cost countries and low cost countries for goods or services of comparable quality.  Globalization applied to healthcare offers the possibility of gains to the U.S consumer and economy that are several orders of magnitude larger than any other form of international trade we’re involved in.    There are two ways of applying the “gains from trade” concept to healthcare:  Take the patients to cheaper doctors overseas, or bring the cheaper doctors to the patients.  Neither approach will be popular with the American Medical Association or other groups that represent the healthcare

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The Trend toward Retiring in Mexico: Opportunity and Challenge for Policymakers By Paul Crist, President, Americans for Medicare in Mexico, A.C. U.S. Retirees are choosing Mexico in ever-larger numbers In the past decade or so, Mexico has become an increasingly attractive destination for U.S. seniors considering retirement options. That trend is certain to continue, and grow, in the coming years and decades, as the Baby Boom generation reaches retirement age. There are a number of important factors that contribute to this trend. First, Mexico has become the number one tourist destination outside of the U.S. for American travelers. As an increasing number of Americans are of Mexican heritage with familial and cultural ties to Mexico, and as the number of U.S. retirees increases (and thus increases the time they have for travel), Mexico is set to become an ever more popular tourism and retirement destination in the coming years. Retirees that choose to reside in Mexico, whether of Mexican or other heritage, nearly always have visited Mexico numerous times as tourists. They know Mexico, and know that negative U.S. media coverage about Mexico is often slanted, sensational, and fails to recognize the size and diversity of Mexico. The firsthand knowledge of tourists eliminates the fear of living in Mexico. For example, they are more likely than Americans who have never visited Mexico to know that “violence in Mexico” is really just about a 35 to 50-mile region along the U.S. border. They know that Mexico is blessed with great natural

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