Rosarito Beach Properties

BY ANDRES OPPENHEIMER
aoppenheimer@MiamiHerald.com

Mexico's big hope: get 5 million U.S. retirees

MEXICO CITY — Mexico is silently working on proposals aimed at drawing millions of U.S. retirees to this country, which could eventually lead to the most ambitious U.S.-Mexican project since the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement.

President Felipe Calderón is likely to propose the first steps toward expanding U.S. retirement benefits and medical tourism to Mexico when he goes to Washington on an official visit May 19, according to well-placed officials here. If not then, he will raise the issue later this year, they say.

“It’s one of the pillars of our plans to trigger economic and social well-being in both countries,” Mexico’s ambassador to the United States Arturo Sarukhan told me. “We will be seeking to increasingly discuss this issue in coming months and years.”

Calderón brought it up during a U.S.-Canada-Mexico summit in Guadalajara in August last year, but President Barack Obama asked him to shelve the idea until he was able to pass healthcare reform, another official told me.

Now that Congress has passed healthcare reform, Calderón is preparing to charge ahead.

A GROWING MARKET
There are already an estimated 1 million Americans living in Mexico. And according to Mexican government estimates based on U.S. Census figures, that number is likely to soar to 5 million by 2025 as the U.S. population grows older and more Americans look for sunny, cheaper places to retire.

The U.S. Census projects that the number of U.S. retirees will soar from 40 million now to nearly 90 million by 2050. Already, 5 million American retirees live abroad, of whom 2.2 million are in the Western Hemisphere — mostly in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Brazil. Another 1.5 million live in Europe and 850,000 in Asia.

The key to luring more U.S. medical tourists and retirees to Mexico and other Latin American countries will be getting hospitals in the region to be certified by the U.S. Joint International Commission, which establishes that they meet U.S. hospitals’ standards. There are already eight Mexican hospitals certified by the JIC and several others awaiting certification.

According to Mexican government estimates, healthcare costs in Mexico are about 70 percent lower than in the United States. And from my own experience, those estimates are right: As I reported at the time, when I was hospitalized in Mexico two years ago for an emergency operation, my hospital bill was indeed about 70 percent lower than what it would have been in Miami.

So what will Calderón specifically propose to Obama? Most likely, the Mexican president will suggest starting with a low-profile agreement that would allow the U.S. Health Care Financing Administration to pay for Medicare benefits to U.S. retirees in Mexico. Under current rules, Medicare only covers healthcare services in the United States.

IT JUST MAKES SENSE
My opinion: Mexico and much of Latin America are bound to become growing U.S. retirement and medical tourism destinations, much like Spain has become a permanent living place for Germans, Britons and Northern Europeans.

You won’t read much about it now because neither Calderón nor Obama will emphasize it publicly while the drug-related violence in northern Mexico is making big headlines, and while the political wounds from the recent U.S. healthcare debate are still open in Washington, D.C.

But I’m increasingly convinced that, as the violence in Mexico subsides and the healthcare debate becomes a distant memory in Washington, medical benefits’ deals will become a top U.S.-Latin American priority. Just as free-trade agreements were the big thing of the 1990s, healthcare agreements will be the big deal of the coming decade.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Calderón and Obama take the first baby steps toward a U.S.-Mexico healthcare agreement by finding a way to pay for Medicare benefits for U.S. expatriates in Mexico, or getting U.S. states to allow similar payments. Then, most likely after the 2012 presidential election in both countries, the two would start negotiating a more ambitious deal.

Demography, geography and economics are pointing in that direction. With the U.S. population getting older, a record U.S. budget deficit, rising U.S. healthcare costs, and Mexico and other Latin American countries badly needing more tourism and investments, this should be a win-win for everybody.

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By Kathleen Kirkwood

Brad Billingsley and his wife Linda

Brad Billingsley could have been waiting for his tee time at an Arizona golf course.

Instead, the former Lafayette resident and his wife Linda were in a lagoon off Cabo San Lucas, snapping photos of gray whales bobbing next to their small charter boat.

“Every day, it’s an adventure here,” Brad Billingsley said. “It’s added 20 years to my life.”

Brad, 62, and Linda Billingsley, 61, are among the “silver surge” of baby boomers seeking alternative retirement nests in Mexico, according to a recent report by the International Community Foundation.

It’s not certain how many U.S. retirees are living in Mexico — a 2004 study puts it between 500,000 and 600,000 — but the foundation and other researchers say the number is bound to increase as more boomers settle into their golden years and find Mexico an affordable alternative. Almost half the retirees living in coastal areas are getting by comfortably on less than $1,000 per month, said the report, which cites the growth of real estate projects targeted at retirees as proof that expatriates are flocking south of the border.

The Billingsleys had seriously considered a retirement community with a golf course in central Arizona. But they lacked the enthusiasm for fairway living that seemed to consume retirees there. “Their entire lives were involved with golf,” Brad Billingsley said.

In 2007, the couple became expatriates and settled into a $300,000, two-bedroom beachfront condominium in Rosarito Beach, in Baja California.

They’ve made the most out of their retirement dollars, Brad Billingsley said. The cost of living — from groceries to health care — is low in their beachfront town and there’s plenty to do, such as driving down the coast to Cabo, walking on the beach and shopping at the local mercado. continue reading…

Villanueva, far left; Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres, center in striped maroon sweater; and Bruce Howard, far right in yellow vest

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO—Seven members of a California Rotary club joined with about 20 local Rotarians and Rosarito residents Saturday in an event to demonstrate this tourist area is perfectly safe for visitors.

The event organized by Rotarians from Cambria, California was officially a beach maintenance session but Bruce Howard, past president of that club, said its main purpose was to help eliminate inaccurate perceptions that have developed in the U.S.

“We want to tell people that Baja is safe,” said Howard, who owns a vacation home in Rosarito. “We’re coming down, we love coming down and we feel safe and welcome and comfortable here.”

Howard said media coverage of the Mexican government’s aggressive crackdown on drug cartels, including some sensationalized stories, has created the impression among some in the U.S. that the area is unsafe for visitors. continue reading…

Bring Your Medicare to Mexico

Suzan Haskins
Latin America Editor, International Living
International Living Postcards—your daily escape

Which foreign country will be the first in which Americans can use Medicare and Medicaid benefits?

Mexico, of course.

It just makes sense. Mexico is right next door to the largest market of health care consumers in the world. Some health services in Mexico can cost 12 times less than what is charged in the U.S., experts say.

It’s no wonder that Americans (and yes, Canadians, too) cross the Mexican border in frequently increasing numbers to avail of the high-quality but low-cost health care Mexico provides, including reduced cost prescriptions. continue reading…

Drug cartels. Murders. The news is often bad out of Mexico. Peter Ferry journeys beyond the headlines.

Finally Some Good News on Travel in Mexico

Poor old Mexico. Talk about kicking a guy when he’s down! Just when the price of oil plummets, American jobs dry up, and the fear of drug violence cuts tourism in half, along comes swine flu to cut it in half again.

OK, it’s time for a little good news. In May, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control lifted its recommendation against travel to Mexico; the swine flu isn’t so bad after all, and it probably didn’t come here from Mexico in the first place.

And now a little more good news. Drug violence is not a threat to ordinary tourists like you and me. This is according to the Mexican government, the U.S. State Department and me. Let me give you a little background. continue reading…

Written by: Phil Friedman

Mexico has been reduced to a single, small, geographical piece of this earth. If there is a murder in Michoacan, then the presumption of the 24-hour news cycle has been that it is too dangerous to travel to Rosarito Beach even though it is thousands of miles away.

Weekly Fishing Column: Mexico is safer than you think

According to Arturo Martinez from the Mexican Tourism office, no tourists have been killed in the drug war violence throughout Mexico.

Still, on a recent CNN news report, U.S. citizens were warned not to travel to Mexico. Well what part of Mexico was CNN referring to? Mexico is a huge country and to say travel to Mexico is dangerous is not only inadequate information but very misleading.

Please do not misunderstand me. If you want to find trouble in Tijuana, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Paris, I have no doubt that with the proper directions, you will find trouble and the dregs of society you seek.

If however, you use common sense, stay out of bad neighborhoods, do not travel at night etc., your journey to Mexico should be not only safe, but a memorable trip with lifetime memories.

Mexico is not standing still amid the criticism, unjust or not. If you have any trouble at all once you cross the border into Baja California Norte, all you have to do is dial 078 and press send on your cell phone. You will be connected with English speaking Mexican travel officials eager to help you, drive out to your location or assist you in anyway. I have personally tried this system on many occasions and never failed to get connected to the Mexican travel bureau.

If you have an emergency in Mexico, you can also dial 911 on your cell phone and you will immediately be connected with and English speaker ready to assist you.

For private boaters, Mexico has announced as search and rescue fleet. The commanders of these Ensenada-based vessels have been trained by the U.S. Coast Guard and speak excellent English. The sole purpose of the team is to help boaters in distress. Their vessels are capable of more than 50 knots and can quickly respond to rescue a distressed boater.

A recent visit by officials from Sportfishing Association of California resulted in the comment that they had great equipment, were well-trained and had friendly personnel. This will greatly increase the desire of yachts, sailboats, and fishermen to go south of the border again. The unit has a 24-hour Radio Watch on Marine Channel 16 and can also be reached by telephone from the United States by calling 011 52 646-1-72-40-00.

Holiday outings: Long Beach Sportfishing has two Fourth of July cruises departing at 7p.m. and returning at 10.

The cost is $20 for adults and $10 for children, 12 years old and under. Limit is four kids per adult. Information: 562-432-8993.

philip@976-TUNA.com

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ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO—Known for decades as one of the hot surfing spots on the West Coast, Rosarito on Sept. 27 will add another popular beach activity to its attractions with a sand sculpture contest.

Sand Sculpture

Baja Sand 2009 will be held from 10 to 6 p.m. that Sunday in front of the Rosarito Beach Hotel. The exhibition and amateur competition is a prelude to the first full-scale sand sculpting competition which is scheduled for May 2 of 2010.

Half of the profits from the 2010 event will be donated to the Rosarito Boys & Girls Club.

“We’re very excited about this inaugural event and think it’s a perfect fit for this city with its miles of beautiful coastline and tradition of artistic creations,” said Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres.

Registration and further information is available at info@rosarito.org, rosaritotur@baja.gob.mx or by calling 661-612-0200 or 661-612-0396 in Mexico or 619-730-1871 in the United States.

The creation of elaborate sand sculptures is a popular event on beaches throughout the world, including an annual competition in Imperial Beach which attracts some of the best global teams and hundreds of thousands of fascinated spectators.

Raul Aragon, Rosarito’s delegate from the Baja State Secretary of Tourism office, an organizer of the event, said that planning has been going on for month to make Baja Sand 2009 a memorable and successful attraction.

The event will follow by one day the 30th-year edition of the Rosarito-Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bike Ride, which attracts thousands of riders, and the same day as the Rosarito chamber of restaurants annual steak and lobster festival.

“It will create an incredible fun-filled weekend here,” Aragon said. “Both longtime fans of sand sculpting and those who have never seen this incredible activity before will have an amazing day.”

Although this event is an amateur competition Archisand, one of the top teams in the world, is being brought in to give an exhibition the day of the contest.

Archisand, a team of architects and craftsmen, was founded by in 1989 by Greg LeBon. It has won the 10-man division of the U.S. Open at Imperial Beach six of the past nine years. More than 300,000 people attend that annual competition.

“People will be amazed at what Archisand and create from simple sand,” Aragon said. “It truly does qualify as exceptional sculpture.”

To help amateurs prepare for this year’s competition, Rosarito sand sculptor Raul Ocegera will give workshops this Saturday and Sunday from 9 to 1 on the beach in front of the hotel.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Ron Raposa
619-948-3740
ronraposa@hotmail.com

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Mexican Talavera tile roots date back to 15th century Spain. Many of the designs and patterns can be traced back to Chinese and Philippine origins while even older variations of this art form date back to 8th century Arab culture.

Mexican Hacienda Kitchen

During the middle ages, craftsmen in Italy began experimenting with glazes and as a result many new colors were developed. When the Italians introduced the unison of the Arab, Italian, and Asian motif during the 15th century to Spain the Talavera ceramic was born. In turn, following the Spanish colonization of Mexico, the Spaniards introduced the new ceramic and Mexican artisans adopted it.

During the 1920s and 30s, Spanish Colonial Revival was one of the most popular architectural styles in the Southwest. Colorful ceramic tile as well as clay tile roofs, roughly plastered walls, arched doorways, and wrought iron window grilles create some of the key elements of this style. Inspired by the Panama California Exposition of 1915 as well as travels in Spain and Mexico, many architects found southern California the ideal setting for this type of architecture. The similarity to Spain’s climate and landscape was the primary catalyst for using the Spanish Colonial Revival style to transform houses, stores, offices, and even cities throughout California, Arizona, New Mexico and Baja California Mexico. (www.missionviejobaja.com)

It’s often difficult to visualize what a particular pattern will look like once it is installed. In fact, the true beauty of Mexican Talavera can only be appreciated when the tiles are placed side by side and a pattern is created.

Visitors to 42037 Mision San Diego in Mision Viejo Baja are often impressed by the hundreds of colorful tiles, as well as the other architectural crafts, which fill this Spanish Colonial Revival style mansion. Tile is found in nearly every room of the house, either as baseboards, stair risers, fireplace surrounds, wall niches, or window seats.

If you want to appreciate a gorgeous New Ocean view Mexican hacienda style mansion only 35 minutes south of the border just call or email Miguel Sedano (619-200-7408) for an appointment.

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By: Elizabeth Mclachlan

With the Internet becoming such a big resource, consumers often feel that they don’t need the expertise of a real estate agent. However, there is a reason why 80% of buyers and seller still turn to estate agents when buying or selling a house – in fact, here are 10 reasons why you should consider using a real estate agent when buying Mexico real estate:

Why You Should Use a Baja Real Estate Agent

You Can Benefit From an Agent’s Experience and Education
Real estate agents know the market, was trained to assist clients in selling and buying homes and know the procedures you need to follow. You will be a fool not to use their expertise.

An Agent Has Good Negotiating Skills
Negotiating is part of an agent’s job description and they know how to make a case for their clients. There skills ensure that you, the client, get the best deal.

An Agent Can Handle All the Paperwork
The endless paper work can be time-consuming not to mention daunting. Agents are trained to handle all paper work and assist you throughout the process. They also know the legal aspects of a contract. This saves you a lot of time to concentrate on the more important things.

An Agent Can Assist You With Price Guidance
Agents have knowledge of the market and will help you establish how much home you can afford as well as how much to sell you property for. Here you can once again trust their experience to guide you when making a decision.

An Agent Has Knowledge of the Neighborhood
Agents can answer all your questions regarding the neighborhood you want to buy in, the quality of the schools, the noise levels, traffic etc. They also know the prices that homes in the area sell for.

Advertising a Property is Expensive
If you decide on a DIY sale, be prepared to cover the advertising cost. When you work with an agent you are not only relying on their name to advertise your property but you are also using all their resources including For Sale/On Show banners and listings in newspapers and on the Internet.

Agents Sell Homes Faster
It has been proven that when you use an agent you will sell you home faster – and we all know that time is money in this industry.

An Agent Has an Objective Opinion
Having an agent around when you view a property means that you will always have an objective opinion. Agents see things differently and can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of a property. They also know exactly what to look for.

An Agent Can Make Recommendations
Agents know the best lenders, home inspectors and other references that you might need when you buy or sell a house.

An Agent Has Access to Additional Information
Agents have loads of information like how long a property has been on the market, the neighborhood and school system, the home’s best features etc. This can come in handy when you have difficulty choosing between different properties.

Considering the scenic landscape that Northern Baja California offers, you might want to have a look at real estate for sale in Rosarito especially in Palacio Del Mar, Calafia Condos, Las Gaviotas or Club Marena.

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By Keith Darcé, Union-Tribune Staff Writer

TIJUANA — About 1 million adult Californians seek health care in Mexico each year – and that figure is likely growing as the recession expands the ranks of the uninsured who are drawn to cheaper care south of the border, said the lead researcher of the first major report on the topic released Tuesday.

The pharmacy business in Tijuana is still booming, despite crackdowns by the state to weed out illegitimate operators. - John Gibbins / Union-Tribune

These people live from the Bay Area to San Diego County. Most come to Mexico for prescription drugs and dental care, and a smaller number go for surgeries. Beyond finances, other factors prompting individuals to head south include language and cultural barriers.

Living within 15 miles of the border also greatly increases the likelihood of someone obtaining health services in Mexico.

Angela Tapia, 45, of San Ysidro crosses the border several times each year to see her gynecologist. She also had back surgery in Tijuana a decade ago.

“It’s cheaper to go there,” said Tapia, who doesn’t have health insurance. “When you go to those doctors, they give you time, they ask a lot of questions and they care about you.”

Roughly half of the cross-border patients are Mexican immigrants, a statistic that might challenge the popular notion of Mexicans burdening California’s hospitals and clinics by receiving all of their health care on this side of the border, said UCLA public health professor Steven Wallace, lead author of the new report.

“What this helps document is that (some) immigrants are facing barriers to receiving care in the United States, and they are turning to Mexico for that care,” said Wallace, who also serves as associate director of UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research. “And it’s not just immigrants facing barriers here.”

Approximately half a million U.S. citizens living in California also seek health services in Mexico, Wallace and his UCLA colleagues found.

Altogether, about 4 percent of adult Californians traveled to Mexico for some type of medical care.

Wallace’s study was published Tuesday in Medical Care, a journal for the American Public Health Association.

He and his fellow researchers based their analysis on data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey, which questioned more than 55,000 random households across the state.

The wide-ranging survey, conducted once every two years, is funded by a coalition of agencies and groups including the state Department of Public Health, the National Cancer Institute and the California Endowment. Those done since 2001 have not asked about accessing health care south of the border.

Wallace’s group was the first to delve deeply into the statistics on medical treatment in Mexico. Previous research relied on anecdotal accounts or small localized populations.

The cross-border trend likely will intensify as the number of Mexican immigrants living in California increases and the recession costs more people their jobs and health insurance coverage, Wallace said.

Between 2001 and 2007, the population of Mexican immigrants in California grew by 756,000 to 4.6 million, according to the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C.

“The numbers that are bad in this study have only gotten worse,” said Margaret Laws, director of the California HealthCare Foundation’s Innovations for the Underserved program. “Under the current climate, they will continue to get worse.”

The UCLA researchers found that more than 13 percent of Mexican immigrants traveled to Mexico for care, with the largest number visiting dentists.

Such patients make up the diverse range of U.S. residents who visit the Bartell Dental Clinic on Avenida Revolucion in the heart of Tijuana’s tourist district, said Dr. William Bartell Jr.

“Probably 95 percent of my clientele are self-employed or their jobs don’t provide any dental insurance,” he said.

The clinic, which has a Web site that targets Americans, sees about 10 patients a day – nearly all from north of the border. That’s enough to keep three full-time and several part-time dentists busy, Bartell said.

Mexican immigrants who lived in California for less than 15 years were less likely to cross the border for care than those who had been in the country longer, the UCLA report said. Many shorter-term immigrants are undocumented, so they face risks every time they leave the United States and try to return.

Among all other Californians, the top health-related reason for going to Mexico was to purchase prescription drugs.

Much attention has been given to doctors performing cosmetic and weight-loss surgeries on Americans in Mexican cities such as Tijuana. But Wallace found that only 7 percent of the 464,000 non-Latino Californians who sought treatment across the border went there for medical procedures, including surgeries and treatments for serious illnesses like cancer.

Health insurers offering relatively low-cost coverage plans that allow Southern Californians to receive care on both sides of the border should be encouraged by the study’s findings, Wallace said.

In fact, several of the largest players in the cross-border insurance market have recorded steady growth in recent years.

Membership in Health Net’s U.S-Mexico plan has reached 40,000, up from 23,700 in late 2007, said Brad Kiefer, a spokesman for the health maintenance organization.

Sistemas Medicos Nacionales S.A., the only Mexican HMO licensed to operate in California, now has about 21,000 members in San Diego and Imperial counties, said Christina Suggett, the company’s chief operating officer.

Staff writer Sandra Dibble contributed to this report.

Keith Darcé: (619) 293-1020;

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