It’s a flashy bustling city, filled with high-rises that rim the deep blue Panama Bay. This modern capital has so much going for it…but perhaps more important than the culture and the nightlife is the health care in Panama City.
In the States I would have paid anywhere from $600 to $1,500 for the same work, depending on the type, location and material of the cap or crown. Dr Jesús charged me less than $300. The price came as a nice surprise. After the last appointment he gave me the bill, and I didn’t have that much cash with me. “That’s fine,” he said, “bring it in when you get it.”
One of the biggest benefits of moving abroad is the possibility of gaining access to good, inexpensive health care. In so many of the countries we cover regularly—like Mexico, Ecuador and Panama, for instance—you’ll find you can get care as good (and perhaps better) than what you’re used to. And it will cost you half or even less what you pay up north.
The other day I got sick—a pretty rare occurrence in all the years I’ve lived in sunny Mexico. Since it was a major holiday and offices were closed, I headed to the local clinic’s emergency room. A doctor examined me, took a case history, and prescribed some medications. The entire cost was about $38.
Whether you’re in a country you love for a long vacation or to stay for an annual visit, you can save thousands of dollars on medical care. And the quality of care and comfort can be better than back home.
Many vacationers already know Chennai, India, for its long sandy beaches…and Costa Rica for its rich, tropical landscape.
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.
Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon will visit Washington, D.C., today and tomorrow in a two-day meeting to cement the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico.
Around midway through my research for the first edition of my book, Patients Beyond Borders, an old root canal became infected and I needed an extraction and implant. When my specialist in North Carolina quoted $4,100 for the procedures, I knew it was time to “walk the medical tourism talk” and head overseas for care.
When I retired to Punta del Este in Uruguay last year, I was eager to find out if the stories I’d heard of great deals on quality dental care outside the U.S. were true.
I am sitting in my 14th-floor condominium overlooking Jomtien Beach in Thailand and I still can’t believe my luck. I bought this place for $17,000 eight years ago and have been enjoying my million-dollar view every day since.
Just like 46 million other people in the U.S., I had no health insurance and I couldn’t afford the $15,000 to $20,000 it would have cost to have an operation I needed to get done.
I moved from California to live in Merida, Mexico five years ago. In this time, I have harbored a secret worry that if something goes wrong with me medically, the chance of disaster is higher here than it might be back home. A few months ago, an expat friend unintentionally served as a guinea pig for me, developing a medical condition worthy of hospitalization. She is a Canadian citizen from Vancouver who lives in Merida with a residence visa and without health insurance.
A few weeks ago, I took a header into a low doorway and broke a 30-year-old cap off my front tooth.
Our local friends recommended Dr. Jesus Sanchez, an aesthetic dentist here in Merida, Mexico, where I live. My wife Suzan made appointments for both of us since she needed some work done, too.
It’s the new buzz in travel—tourists not just visiting places to relax, unwind, play golf, explore new cultures or cuisines, but to have medical check-ups, a new hip, or a simple bit of liposuction. It’s called medical tourism and is burgeoning throughout Eastern Europe and South Africa…but most of all in South East Asia. Time was, when the whole purpose of a vacation was to return feeling fitter and healthier and looking better—now that feeling is no longer left to chance or the right resort, the perfect beach and a classic course. It is to do with what procedures and operations and expert physicians can be experienced along the way. It also has to do with cost and comfort.
“Americans are in the midst of a global shift in healthcare service: in a few short years, big government investments, corporate partnerships, and increased media attention have spawned a new industry—medical tourism—bringing with it a host of encouraging new choices, ranging from dental care and cosmetic surgery to some of the most costly procedures, such as hip replacement and heart surgery.”
