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McAllen TX is one of the most expensive health-care markets in the country. Only Miami-which has much higher labor and living costs-spends more per person on health care. In 2006, Medicare spent fifteen thousand dollars per enrollee here, almost twice the national average. The income per capita is twelve thousand dollars. In other words, Medicare spends three thousand dollars more per person here than the average person earns.

Workers, 20-30% of whom are uninsured, and an even larger percentage of whom are underinsured, continue to pay the bill for others to get coverage; their payroll taxes help support Medicare for the elderly, Medicaid for the disabled, for children of low-income parents, and those living in poverty.