The U.S. consulate has warned Americans to avoid a Los Cabos hospital in Mexico, following years of complaints that the facility preyed on Americans by overcharging and bullying them.

According to Associated Press, the St. Luke's Hospital in Cabo San Lucas City at Los Cabos municipality in Baja California Sur state also refuses to release medical records to Americans.

St. Luke's Hospital has reportedly been taking advantage of the tourists in the known Mexican beach destination, where more than 100,000 U.S. tourists visit each month.

U.S. citizens have filed multiple complaints against the hospital, saying it demanded tens of thousands of dollars in advanced payments while threatening patients' relatives.

The U.S. consulate in Tijuana was prompted to issue the unusual "health alert" on Wednesday about St. Luke's business practices after receiving multiple reports that the hospital refused to release clinical reports on what care they had actually provided.

"U.S. citizens have reported instances of withholding care for payment, failing to provide itemized lists of charges, ordering unnecessary procedures, withholding U.S. passports, obstructing medical evacuations, and refusing to discharge patients without payment," the U.S. consulate said in the alert.

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Americans Warned About Los Cabos Hospital in Mexico

The U.S. consulate said hotels and resorts in the Los Cabos area may have existing contracts or informal relationships with St. Luke's Hospital.

If tourists need medical assistance, the consulate advised them to ask their hotel or resort to arrange treatment at a facility on the consulate's publicly-available list of hospitals.

The U.S. consulate also advised Americans to be aware of the tourists' rights under Mexican law and obtain as much information as possible about local facilities and their medical personnel when thinking about medical procedures.

One should also insist on written estimates in advance of any procedures and request itemized bills. There were reports in local media that the hospital pays ambulance drivers to channel American patients to its facility, a practice that's been going on for so long.

Six years ago, there was a comment in an English-language forum for travelers and residents of Los Cabos to be aware that St. Luke's "has ambulance chasers out all the time."

A post by a travel agent noted that drivers are paid a fee for picking up patients off the streets and bringing them to St. Luke's Hospital.

Complaints Against St. Luke's Hospital in Mexico

In June, a man from Los Angeles, Scott Lairson, and his wife Patricia were vacationing in Los Cabos. After she had serious breathing problems, Lairson brought his wife to St. Luke's Hospital and was treated at the Los Cabos hospital for 12 days, Los Angeles Times reported.

In August, Lairson filed a complaint stating that his wife had good treatment, but the hospital administrators were aggressive. He said he was told that his wife would be transferred to the community hospital if he did not immediately pay $50,000.

The complaint noted that the hospital administrators also told Lairson that he would be unable to visit if he did not pay. Lairson paid $10,000 using his credit card, but he had no more money. He then paid $25,000 to get her flown to Arizona, where Patricia died.

His insurance company, United Healthcare, was billed $1 million by the hospital. However, they never provided specific details of the medical records of each treatment to justify the amount.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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