Company Offers Cross-Border Health Care Plan
Company Offers Cross-Border Health Care Plan
POSTED: 6:41 pm PST November 12, 2009
UPDATED: 6:51 pm PST November 12, 2009
SAN DIEGO -- San Diegans are being offered the chance to choose doctors and hospitals in both the U.S. and Mexico as part of a groundbreaking health insurance program, 10News reported.
Anna Torres owns a barber shop in National City and most of her employees are Latino, with some living in Mexico.
Torres said she would like to offer health coverage but simply can't afford it, and she is not alone.
According to the U.S. Census, Latinos now make up more than one-third of California's population but they are twice as likely as other Californians to be uninsured.
"We have in some communities as high as 90 percent of the population uninsured," said Frank Carrillo, CEO of SIMNSA, a health coverage provider based in Mexico.
Experts said much of the problem has to do with affordability, specifically small businesses like Torres' barber shop. Experts said that, combined with language and cultural barriers, is a recipe for disaster.
"Going to a doctor that they can't communicate with can turn into an intimidating experience and creates a disparity in health care," said Ana Andrade, of insurance company Health Net.
For the first time ever, Health Net is offering employers and employees in San Diego a plan called "Salud con Health Net" that lets them choose to visit doctors on either side of the border.
The company claimed its small network and the lower cost of health care in Mexico allows its customers to see a savings of about 25 percent compared to similar plans.
Torres said it is a plan she would like to look into for both herself and her employees.
Supporters of the program are hoping cross-border coverage will ease overcrowded emergency rooms, eliminate preventable health care bills and provide all Californians with better access to the health care they need.
Health Net provides coverage in Tijuana, Mexicali, Tecate and Rosarito.Copyright 2009 by 10News.com.
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