How doctors in Tijuana are offering secure financing to U:S. Patients

Quick Answer
In 2026, many doctors in Tijuana use heva to offer secure digital payments and BNPL financing to eligible American patients. This removes traditional cash barriers, shortens booking timelines, and allows patients to pay for care safely from their phone—often within minutes.

What is medical tourism, and why has Tijuana become a leading destination?

Medical tourism refers to patients traveling across borders to access healthcare that is more affordable, faster, or more accessible than what is available at home. According to the World Health Organization, cost, wait times, and access to specialists are the most common drivers of cross-border care.

Tijuana has emerged as one of the most important medical tourism hubs in the world, particularly for U.S. patients. Its proximity to Southern California allows patients to cross the border in a single day, often without flights, making it uniquely accessible.

Based on analyses from Patients Beyond Borders and the Medical Tourism Association, the most common procedures drawing U.S. patients to Tijuana include:

dental implants and full-mouth restorations

bariatric surgery

plastic and reconstructive surgery

orthopedics and spine care

ophthalmology and specialty diagnostics

As patient volumes increased, so did expectations around payment flexibility, transparency, and speed—areas where traditional clinic systems struggled.

What is heva, and why are Tijuana doctors adopting it?

heva is an AI-native, U.S.-based healthcare coordination platform built specifically for cross-border care.

Headquartered in the United States and backed by American institutional investors, heva provides doctors with infrastructure to manage international patients more efficiently—without acting as a clinic, provider, or lender.

For doctors in Tijuana, heva enables:

24/7 patient communication in the patient’s language

automated handling of inbound inquiries

instant scheduling of consultations and procedures

centralized patient records and documentation

secure cross-border payments

access to installment-based financing for eligible U.S. patients

The result is a smoother experience for both sides: patients face fewer barriers, and clinics spend far less time on administrative work.

Why have payments historically been difficult for medical tourists in Tijuana?

Despite its advanced private healthcare sector, much of Mexico—including Tijuana—still relies heavily on cash and local bank transfers for private medical care.

According to Banco de México and the World Bank, cash remains a dominant payment method in healthcare, especially for elective procedures, due to:

high international card fees

settlement delays

limited cross-border payment infrastructure

For U.S. patients, this often meant:

bringing thousands of dollars in cash

wiring money to unfamiliar accounts

limited documentation or receipts

uncertainty around refunds or disputes

The CDC identifies payment opacity as a key risk factor in medical tourism decision-making.

How does heva enable secure cross-border payments in Tijuana?

heva modernizes how clinics accept international payments while remaining compatible with local operations.

Through heva, doctors in Tijuana can accept:

international credit and debit cards

mobile wallet payments

U.S. bank transfers (ACH)

cryptocurrency payments

USD-pegged digital assets (stable digital currencies)

All transactions are:

encrypted

digitally documented

traceable for patient records

accessible remotely, at any time

This directly addresses the safety and transparency standards recommended by the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization for cross-border healthcare.

How does financing work for U.S. patients seeking care in Tijuana?

This is where Tijuana has seen one of the most significant shifts.

Traditionally, clinics required full payment upfront, even for high-cost procedures. Today, through integrated payment infrastructure, eligible U.S. patients can access familiar installment-based healthcare financing models—widely used in the U.S.—without clinics assuming credit risk.

Key characteristics:

digital eligibility checks

approvals often returned in minutes

clear installment schedules

no clinics acting as lenders

Research published in BMJ Global Health shows that installment-based payment options substantially increase access to elective care when applied transparently and responsibly . Clinics receive payment without managing debt, while patients gain flexibility.

Why does financing improve safety, not just affordability?

Financing isn’t just about making care “easier to afford.” It fundamentally improves decision quality and patient protection.

According to The Lancet Global Health, patients who receive:

written treatment plans

upfront cost clarity

documented payment flows

are less likely to experience disputes, treatment abandonment, or post-procedure confusion . In Tijuana—where care often happens quickly and across borders—this structure matters even more.

How does heva improve the entire patient journey beyond payments?

Payments are only one part of the experience.

Every doctor using heva has a personalized AI assistant trained on their:

tone and communication style

scheduling preferences

intake requirements

pricing logic

No two hevas are the same.

This allows:

immediate responses to patient messages

automatic booking of consultations or surgeries

real-time calendar updates

follow-ups without manual outreach

The OECD identifies administrative overload as one of the largest inefficiencies in modern healthcare systems . heva directly reduces this burden for clinics serving international patients.

Why are patient-focused doctors in Tijuana choosing heva?

Doctors adopt heva not to replace human care—but to protect it.

By automating:

repetitive messaging

scheduling back-and-forth

payment coordination

clinics can focus more on:

clinical outcomes

patient trust

continuity of care

This approach aligns with digital health best practices outlined by the World Health Organization.

What this means for the future of medical tourism in Tijuana

Tijuana’s role in medical tourism is no longer defined solely by price.

It is increasingly defined by:

access

speed

transparency

patient-centered systems

Platforms like heva make it possible for doctors to meet modern patient expectations—without becoming financial institutions or sacrificing clinical autonomy.

Interested in joining heva as a provider in Tijuana?
Learn how clinics modernize international care at heva.co/providers

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all clinics in Tijuana offer financing?

No. Most still rely on cash or local transfers. Structured installment-based financing is typically available only through platforms that integrate payments and eligibility workflows.

Does heva provide medical care or loans?

No. heva is a coordination platform. Medical decisions remain with licensed providers, and financing decisions are handled by external partners.

Is it safe to pay digitally for care in Tijuana?

According to the CDC and the WHO, secure digital payments with documentation are safer and more transparent than cash for cross-border care.

Can non-U.S. patients access financing?

At this time, installment-based financing is primarily available to eligible U.S. patients.