Costa Rica is one of the top five medical tourism destinations for Americans
Many vacationers already know Chennai, India, for its long sandy beaches…and Costa Rica for its rich, tropical landscape. But both places are also among the top 10 destinations for medical tourism.
Nearly every standard medical procedure is available overseas. And—depending upon the country and the type of treatment—cost savings can range from 15% to as much as 85%.
U.S. patients also travel abroad for specialty treatments, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and bariatric surgeries, as well as for therapies not yet permitted in the U.S., such as certain stem cell treatments.
Orthopedics, cardiovascular surgery, dental care, cosmetic surgery, and cancer diagnosis and treatment are among the services patients most commonly seek overseas.
In almost every instance, the cost savings are dramatic.
A heart bypass surgery in the U.S.—typically running anywhere from $70,000 to $133,000—will cost $7,000 in India or $22,000 in Thailand.
Hip replacement in India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand can run as low as one-fifth the cost for the same surgery back home.
A facelift, costing $10,500 to $16,000 in the U.S., is $5,500 to $6,500 in Brazil…as low as $2,400 in Thailand…and $4,000 to $8,000 in Singapore, South Korea and Mexico.
The same is true for dental procedures and surgeries. For example, sets of upper and lower dentures usually cost $5,000 in the U.S. They run less than a third that much in Hungary and Costa Rica. More expensive crown and implant procedures often run less than a third of U.S. costs for this work. And inlays and onlays in Costa Rica, Hungary, Mexico and Thailand—countries well known for their high-quality dental work—are less than a quarter of U.S. cost.
These figures not only reflect the cost of procedures, but also the hospital stay in a private room.
In the current June issue of International Living magazine, I reveal the top countries for health care travel right now—and the treatments they specialize in. In this issue, you’ll also learn about the world’s healthiest places to live in 2010.
