Medical and business lane relocated at the San Ysidro border crossing
Access to the medical and business lane will be through Paseo de los Héroes street in Tijuana
(Courtesy)
Fast lane pass offered to those receiving medical care or doing business in Mexico
By Alexandra MendozaReporter
The special medical — and now business -- "Fast Lane" at the San Ysidro border crossing was relocated last week to the far-left side of the port of entry. The new access is through the Paseo de los Héroes street in Tijuana.
This program operated by Mexican authorities, was created to boost medical tourism and allow U.S. patients of registered Mexican doctors to avoid long border wait times by returning home though a special lane.
Back in 2019, the program expanded to also include business investors. Still, 95 percent of the users of this lane visit the city for medical reasons, according to Tijuana's secretary of economic development, Arturo Perez Behr.
Waiting times range from 15 to 20 minutes.
The "Fast Lane" requires a single-use pass, available through authorized medical offices and chambers of commerce. Healthcare providers and businesses purchase such passes from the city to provide them to their patients or investors who reside on the other side of the border.
The price of these passes will decrease starting this month; a fast lane pass for medical purposes will cost 200 pesos (about $11) and 360 pesos ($19) for investors.
In most cases, health care providers will give them for free to patients, although there may be some exceptions, authorities explained.
In 2019, around 262,000 passes were issued by Tijuana, compared to last year, when 121,000 were issued.
In October 2019 a city investigation found some irregularities in the program, such as illegal resale of the passes. Changes were made, and the program is now regulated to ensure proper use of the passes.
"Now it's a fast and efficient crossing," Tijuana Mayor Arturo González Cruz said. "Even the U.S. authorities have recognized that the use of this lane has been respected and has not been abused in any way," he added during a press conference last week.
Each person must show the pass at a booth, now in the far-left side of the border crossing, to be scanned by officials.
The relocation was due to the upcoming opening of eight new northbound lanes at the left side of the San Ysidro port of entry. Authorities took advantage of the new border infrastructure to seek easier access for Fast Lane users.
The previous Fast Lane booth will remain on site and will be used by the Tijuana police guarding the area, authorities said.
Border & BajaHealth
Alexandra Mendoza
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