dangarza

What keeps some of the costs down over there is a basic supply and demand phenomenon.
As anyone probably would, Physicians tend to flock to the cities that offer the amenities of large cosmopolitan cities. Unfortunately, there aren't many over there, so there is a horrendous oversupply of physicians in cities like Monterrey.
The insurance companies take advantage of this glut of doctors by establishing "networks" where they will refer their captive patients to doctors that will accept their terms and fees. So as long as you keep your policy current, they generally take care of the hospital costs and physician's fees in the same package.

Paying out of pocket for a coronary bypass procedure is a very expensive proposition, even in Mexico. The key here is that insurance COSTS are less over there, because Insurance companies have Huge profit margins, since they pretty much control doctors' and even hospital's fees and don't have to contend with as many liability issues as in this country.

To give you an idea, in the mid-nineties, some companies were paying about 20 dollars to a doctor that would go see a patient in the ER! I think it has gotten better for the poor doctors lately, but not much.
That's what supply and demand can cause and a big part of why now I'm working in the U.S.