Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Latin Times
Latin Times
Politics
Mateo Moreno

South Texas Families Are Driving to Mexico for Medicine and Medical Procedures. Here's Why It's Accelerating

People cross into the US as seen from the international bridge in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico on January 15, 2026. US Customs and Border Protection officials are usually seen standing in the middle of the bridge, where the orange cones are. (Credit: Photo by Gabriel V. Cardenas / AFP via Getty Images)

Nearly one in three residents of McAllen, Texas, has no health coverage at all, and Laredo trails only slightly behind — the two highest uninsured rates of any metro area in the country, according to a ValuePenguin analysis of Census Bureau data. This year, that gap has collided with a fresh round of U.S. drug-price increases, and pharmacies just across the river are picking up the overflow.

A Border Region Already Stretched Thin

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.