Mexico City Offers Free Health Insurance to Tourists

So will offering complimentary healthcare to tourists help? Mexican officials hope it will, saying the move will help restore confidence in the safety of tourists traveling to the country.

"We want to send the message that Mexico City is a secure place that will protect its visitors," Mexico City's Tourism Secretary Alejandro Rojas Diaz told the New York Times after announcing the initiative.

And it could be needed. Although the swine flu threat has abated in recent months, there is concern all over the globe that it could come back. A recent report from the U.S. General Accounting Office found the swine flu's history "suggests it could return in a second wave this fall or winter in a more virulent form."

Insurers are starting to take notice as well: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia announced just yesterday that it will expand its flu vaccine coverage to include the H1N1 virus.

If Mexico City's program proves successful, perhaps more countries that enjoy tourism dollars will follow suit and offer low-cost protection to visitors. And as globalization in healthcare and countless other industries continues to expand despite travel threats, such as the swine flu, it could eventually prove lucrative for the countries involved.