20190103 - Los Algodones

    We went to Los Algodones for my dentist appointment today.  I must admit that we were a bit apprehensive with all of the wall drama going on.  People crossing the border elsewhere were telling stories of USBP and National Guard troops bullying people. Our sources are good, so I don't doubt them. Thankfully it wasn't that way at Los Algodones. 

     Last year Dr. Guillermo Urias had removed a broken bridge, cut out the roots of the broken tooth, put in bolvine bone to try to get my body to replace lost bone, and made a temporary partial for me. Total cost $300!  He is so very good. I got out of the chair at 1100 and was enjoying lunch an hour later.  I had to give the area at least four months to heal, so I was back today, not quite 12 months later, to have him finish.  

     We had talked about implants. They were going to be $750. That's an excellent price, but they would require another four months to heal before he could put on the crowns. I decided that, at my age, I would be just as happy with a nice bridge. Besides, I was anxious to get it over. $800. He did a lot of work prepping and volunteered to work on Saturday to finish, but I said I could wait until Monday. He made two beautiful temps. If it weren't for the gap I'd just keep the temps.

     Pamela had an eye exam and got new glasses. They are her first. I had an eye exam and got a second pair. Both glasses and both exams - $270. We went off for lunch.
     Let be a bit honest. Capitalism has people convinced that healthcare costs are necessarily high. If you do some research and actually talk to people from other countries, you soon find that that isn't true. We in the US could enjoy good healthcare at a reasonable price like the rest of the world, if we didn't let greedy corporations run our government.  We spent Christmas with a couple from Holland. They've spent a year in the US and can't believe what we tolerate. Yes, they pay more taxes but healthcare is affordable, education is almost free and jobs are plentiful. They have an etremely strong and prosperous middle class. 

     Since these were Pamela's first glasses she decided to go with a whole new look. The owner of the dental clinic suggested a hair dresser. Pamela got a cute haircut for $6 to match the glasses she picked up on our way home. We were a bit annoyed to see an American, claiming to be a hairdresser, trying to get the woman to do a man's haircut for less than $5. Most American barbers and hairdressers in the US expect more than $5 in tip. Sometimes we are confronted by the ugly American. We gave the hairdresser $10. She earned it and Pamela is thrilled with her new doo. 

     Of course we stopped at Phoenix Pharmacy to get our year's supply of medications for far less than we'd pay for a month's worth in the US.  In fact, we paid $135 for medications that would have cost us around $1800 in the US. Like all good visitors to Los Algodones, we stopped at the Purple Store to get our limit of tequila. The line to return to the US was extremely long. It was mostly US seniors with incomes below the poverty level and crappy insurance who had done the same things we did. We always enjoy Los Algodones and the people are really nice but we come here for the same reason as the rest. Even if you can get good medical care in the US, a high percentage of us can't afford it. Insurance is a joke. My high school girlfriend, with whom I am still good friends, said that her dentist wanted $9,600 for the same procedure which was going to cost me $1,100.  I wonder if members of Congress would treat us any differently if they had to go through what they put us through? 

     The Mexican government was being very cooperative with the US at the border. They did a passport scan as we left Mexico. There was no reason for them to do that except to be good neighbors. Sure wish we'd be as good a neighbor to other countries.