The Rise of "Medical Tourism"
December 23, 2009 Jon Herring
Editorial Director, Total Health Breakthroughs | Several years ago, I enjoyed an amazing vacation in Costa Rica. Shortly after I arrived, I found myself reclining in a comfortable leather chair. I leaned back and relaxed, staring at the flawless blue sky and the steep, misty mountains surrounding San Jose. Soft, soothing music played in the background. I was beginning to drift off when a young woman walked over. She placed her hand on my shoulder.
"Good afternoon, Jon. I hope you're comfortable," she said, in perfect English. "Can I adjust the chair for you? Would you like something to drink?" "No, thank you. I'm just fine." I told her. A few moments later, Dr. Telma Rubinstein walked in and sat down beside me. "We have a long day ahead, Jon. Are you ready to begin?" she asked. I nodded - and with that, she flipped a switch on the light above my head and began to examine the inside of my mouth. Seven hours later, after three specialists had completed 10 separate dental procedures, I was walked out the doors of Prisma Dental. My mouth was sore and numb, but I was ready to enjoy the rest of my "vacation." For the next ten days, I traveled in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. At the end of my trip, I returned to San Jose, where Dr. Rubinstein completed my dental work. My trip to Central America is just one example of what has become known as "medical tourism." For a variety of reasons, people from around the world are traveling abroad to obtain dental, medical, and surgical treatment. In many cases, the cost savings are so substantial that the "tourism" aspect of the trip is an added bonus. | Say Goodbye to Bags and Sags! Triumph over the annoyances of aging and thrive every day... for life! Finally -- the anti-aging solution with: - A first-rate memory...
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Click here to read more… | An article in India's BusinessWorld Magazine states that "medical tourism" accounts for more than $40 billion a year in medical and travel expenses. A study performed by Deloitte Consulting suggests that more than three million Americans will travel for medical procedures in 2010. And these numbers are growing rapidly. The top regional destination for medical tourists is Asia. Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and India attract well over a million medical travelers each year. But large numbers of people are also traveling to Central and South America. They are able to enjoy high-quality, affordable healthcare. And at the same time they enjoy numerous options for tourism and convalescing in the tropical air and healing sunlight. Why Would Someone Travel for Healthcare? Over the last 20 years, the standard of healthcare has rapidly improved in a growing number of lesser developed countries. In many cases, the doctors and specialists in these countries were trained in the top medical and dental schools in the U.S. These emerging countries boast a variety of modern hospitals and state-of-the-art outpatient facilities. Often, the technology is newer and even more advanced than the equipment used in facilities here. The bottom line is that many lesser developed countries now offer world-class medical services. In fact, they often exceed the standards you would expect in the U.S. or Europe - but at a small fraction of the cost. Medical tourism began primarily with elective and cosmetic procedures. Today, growing numbers are traveling for life-saving and medically necessary procedures, such as joint replacements, cataract surgery, bone marrow transplants, and even bypass surgery. Virtually any medical procedure can be safely obtained for pennies on the dollar in a foreign country. A recent CNN article told the story of 61-year old, Sandra Giustina. Without insurance, she had no way to afford the heart surgery she needed to correct an abnormal heart rhythm. The surgery would have cost $175,000 in the United States. Instead, she traveled to New Delhi, India. There she had the operation for less than $10,000. That included the cost of travel… and a brief vacation after her recovery. And her experience was not unusual. According to the Medical Tourism Association, here are the approximate costs of several procedures: | Heart Bypass | $150,000 in the U.S. | $8,500 in India | | Liver Transplant | $315,000 in the U.S. | $75,000 in Latin America | | Dental Implant | $2,500 in the U.S. | $1,000 in Costa Rica | | Face Lift | $15,000 in the U.S. | $4,000 in Singapore | | Knee Replacement | $40,000+ in the U.S. | $10,650 in Mexico | | Hip Replacement | $50,000+ in the U.S. | $8,000 in Philippines | | Bone Marrow Transplant | $250,000 in the U.S. | $25,000 in India | When you consider the costs, it is easy to see why medical tourism is booming. But cost is not the only reason why people are traveling for healthcare. Surging demand in the developed world is exposing the flaws in our system. Under the socialized healthcare plans in the in the U.K and Canada, for example, some patients are required to wait years for treatment they need today. In the U.S., the wait times are not as long, but the medical system has become a massive paper-pushing bureaucracy. It is plagued by fraud, inefficiency and waste. And the costs of healthcare have risen to the point of being ridiculous. Those who are uninsured have very few choices, within the current system. In fact, before the financial and housing crisis, the number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States was due to medical expenses. This is not surprising when you consider that 45 million Americans have no health insurance coverage. What about the Service and Standard of Care? Doctors, dentists, and hospitals that cater to medical travelers actually have to meet a higher standard of service than those in your home country. These facilities and practitioners have to compete in the free market for cash-paying customers. They also get much of their business from word-of-mouth referrals. Unless their patients receive a high-quality experience, they are unlikely to spread the word. In some cases, options exist for full-service travel arrangements, private chefs and adjoining suites where family members can stay close to their loved ones. An appointment with a specialist, diagnostic testing and follow-up can often be completed within hours. In the U.S., that would usually require several appointments and hours upon hours in waiting rooms. Why I went to Costa Rica to have my teeth fixed... One of the fastest-growing areas of medical tourism is dentistry. That is because most people don't have comprehensive dental coverage. In my case, most of the work was necessary. I had a broken tooth. I needed a root canal and an implant. And I needed to have a few fillings replaced. On top of that, I wanted to fix two gaps in my smile. When I priced all this work here in the states, the total came to more than $18,000. And none of it was covered by insurance. Based on my research, I knew there were a number of first-class dental practices in Costa Rica. It is a quick flight to get down there. And the cost of dental care is very low there, compared to the U.S. I chose a practice called, Prisma Dental. The facility is bright, clean and modern. It also happens to be the friendliest and most accommodating dental practice I have ever visited. More importantly, the dental work that they performed was better than any I have received in the past. (And, no, I did not - and will not - receive any discount or commission for this recommendation.) By getting the work done in Costa Rica, I received as good or better results than I could have expected here in the states. And it cost me less than one-third of what I was quoted here. My entire bill for the trip, including travel and lodging, was around $6,000. That amounts to a savings of more than $12,000 - and a free vacation in Central America. What are the downsides? You can get some of the best health care in the world here in the United States - and, in some cases, some of the worst. The same can be true in other countries as well. But there are some obvious downsides to consider: - Your insurance policy may not cover treatment (although more and more plans are offering coverage). If your plan does offer coverage, you may have to pay first and wait for reimbursement.
- All surgeries and medical procedures carry a certain level of risk. This is true, no matter where they are performed. But if a procedure goes wrong overseas, you have the added complication of being far from home.
- There is little opportunity for follow-up care. It might be a good idea to give yourself a few extra "cushion" days after your last appointment and before you plan to leave the country.
- Part of the savings you achieve in a foreign country is because they are not strapped by the same malpractice litigation we see in the states. High-quality facilities still have full coverage, of course. But due diligence is imperative.
I hope I've opened your eyes to the many possibilities that exist. As always, my best advice is to focus on "health care" so that you won't need "medical care". But if you find yourself or a loved one in a position where a medical or dental procedure is necessary, now you're aware of other options you may consider. 
Editorial Director
Total Health Breakthroughs
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