When my father, age 72 at the time, announced he was heading off to Mexico for extensive dental work, my first reaction was a mixture of bewilderment and fear, then resignation, knowing that despite my protestations, he was going anyway. In spite of my concerns—some of them quite real—I’m pleased to report a happy ending. Dad and his wife, Alinda, selected a U.S.-trained dentist in Puerto Vallarta and spent around $11,000—which included two weeks lounging around the Pacific coast. They returned tanned and smiling—Dad with new pearly whites and Alinda with an impromptu skin resurfacing. The same procedures would have cost them $24,000 in the U.S.
After his treatment, I told the story of my father’s trip to friends. They responded with the same shock and disbelief that I had felt initially. Then, when I explained the quality of care and the savings, more often than not those same folks followed me out the door, asking for Dad’s e-mail address.
As we contemplate our options in an overpriced, overburdened U.S. health care environment, nearly all of us will eventually find ourselves seeking alternatives to costly treatments—either for ourselves or for our loved ones. Americans are in the midst of a global shift in the health care service: In a few short years, big government investment, 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 more costly procedures, such as hip replacement and heart surgery.
Doug saved $41,000 by traveling to India
Margaret S., a patient from Santa Ana, Calif., was quoted $6,600 for a tooth extraction, two implants, and two crowns. One of the 120 million Americans without dental insurance, Margaret had heard of less expensive dental care abroad. Through a friend, she learned about Escazú, Costa Rica, known for its excellent dental and cosmetic surgery clinics. Margaret got the same treatment in Costa Rica for $2,600. Her dentist was a U.S.-trained oral surgeon who used state-of-the-art instrumentation and top-quality materials. Add in airfare, lodging, meals, and other travel costs, and this savvy global patient still came out way ahead.
Doug S., a small-business owner from Wisconsin, journeyed with his wife, Anne, to Chennai, India, for a double hip resurfacing procedure that would have cost more than $55,000 in the U.S. The total bill, including travel for him and his wife, lodging, meals, and two-week recuperation in a five-star beach hotel, was $14,000. “We were treated like royalty,” Doug said, “and I’m riding my bicycle for the first time in six years. We could not have afforded this operation in the U.S.”
Those patients who take the time to become informed about our changing health care world will be pleasantly surprised by a smorgasbord of affordable, high-quality, American-accredited medical options abroad. While researching and writing my book, Patients Beyond Borders, I talked with wealthy women from Beverly Hills who, despite their affluence, prefer the quality of treatment and attention they receive in Brazil or South Africa to medical care California-style. I met a hardworking couple from Wisconsin who, facing the prospect of refinancing their home for a $6,000-hip operation here in the U.S., headed to India instead. I interviewed a Vietnam vet who wearied of long waits and red tape. He said “bon voyage” to this country’s ever-deteriorating health care system and headed overseas for treatment.
My research, including countless interviews, has convinced me: With diligence, perseverance, and good information, patients considering traveling abroad for treatment do indeed have legitimate, safe choices, not to mention an opportunity to save thousands of dollars over the same treatment in the U.S. Hundreds of patients who have returned from successful treatment overseas provide positive feedback.
Last year, more than 180,000 Americans packed their bags and headed overseas for nearly every imaginable type of medical treatment: tummy tucks in Brazil, heart valve replacements in Thailand, hip resurfacing surgeries in India, addiction recovery in Antigua, fertility diagnosis and treatments in South Africa, thalassotherapy in Hungary, or restorative dentistry in Mexico. Currently, at least 28 countries on four continents cater to the international health traveler, with more than 2 million patients visiting hospitals and clinics each year in countries other than their own. The roster of treatments is as varied as the travelers.
Most people like to get the most for their dollar. The single biggest reason Americans travel to other countries for medical treatment is the opportunity to save money. Depending upon the country and type of treatment, uninsured and underinsured patients, as well as those seeking elective care, can realize 1% to 8% savings over the cost of treatment in the U.S. Or, as one successful health traveler put it, “I took out my credit card instead of a second mortgage on my home.”
As baby boomers become senior boomers, costs of health care and prescriptions are devouring nearly 30% of retirement and pre-retirement incomes. With the word getting out about top-quality treatments at deep discounts overseas, informed patients are finding creative alternatives abroad.
Following is a chart with comparative costs in various countries worldwide.
Big surgeries: the U.S. versus the rest of the world
| Procedure | U.S. | India | Thailand | Singapore | Malaysia | Panama* | Taiwan |
| Heart bypass | $70,000 | $7,000 | $22,000 | $16,300 | $12,000 | $10,500 | $27,500 |
| Heart valve replacement with bypass |
$75,000 | $9,500 | $25,000 | $22,000 | $13,400 | $13,500 | $30,000 |
| Hip replacement | $33,000 | $10,200 | $12,700 | $12,000 | $7,500 | $5,500 | $8,800 |
| Knee replacement | $30,000 | $10,200 | $11,500 | $9,600 | $12,000 | $7,000 | $10,000 |
| Facelift | $10,500 | $4,800 | $5,000 | $7,500 | $6,400 | $2,500 | $8,500 |
| Gastric bypass | $35,000 | $9,300 | $13,000 | $26,500 | $12,700 | $8,500 | no data |
| Prostate surgery | $10,000 | $3,600 | $4,400 | $5,300 | $4,600 | $3,200 | $2,750 |
*Doctor’s fees not included.
The above costs are for surgery, including hospital stay in a private, single-bed room. Airfare and lodging costs are governed by individual preferences. To compute a ballpark estimate of total costs, add $5,000 for you and a companion, figuring coach airfare and hotel rooms averaging $150 per night. For example, a hip replacement in Bangkok, Thailand, would cost about $18,000, for an estimated savings of $15,000 over treatment in the U.S.
Dental work: the U.S. versus the rest of the world
| Procedure | U.S. | Mexico | Costa Rica | Hungary | Panama | Thailand |
| Implant | $2,200 | $1,500 | $725 | $1,400 | $900 | $2,150 |
| Crown | $1,750 | $495 | $400 | $590 | $425 | $540 |
| Porcelain veneer | $900 | $390 | $350 | $620 | $550 | $285 |
| Dentures(upper & lower) | $5,000 | $2,700 | $1,600 | $1,500 | $1,850 | $1,000 |
| Inlays & onlays | $1,500 | $360 | $350 | $500 | $370 | $235 |
| Surgical extraction | $365 | $235 | $195 | $265 | $220 | $60 |
| Root canal | $600 | $265 | $190 | $120 | $220 | $165 |
The estimates above are for treatments alone. Airfare, hospital stay (if any) and lodging vary. Savings on dentistry become more dramatic when “big mouth work” is required, involving several teeth or full restorations. Savings of $15,000 or more are common.
Who to contact for your medical needs abroad
In India:
Wockhardt Heart Hospitals Mumbai & Bangalore (Rashmi Hingorani); tel.(91)80-6621-4921; cell (91)974-006-7349; e-mail: Rashmi.Hingorani@wockhardthospitals.com.
In Thailand:
Bumrungrad International (Beatrice Venturi); tel. (66)2262-5044; cell (66)0811-702-32; e-mail: Beatrice@bumrungrad.com.
In Malaysia:
Suresh Ponnudurai; tel. (60)377-853-727; e-mail: sjponn@gmail.com or info@malaysiahealthcare.com. Suresh can put you in touch with appropriate hospitals.
In Panama:
Dr. Richard Ford; tel. (507)223-4742; e-mail: fordperio@gail.com. Dr. Richard Ford runs Panama’s top medical travel agencies and has partnerships with four of Panama’s leading hospitals.
In Taiwan:
Ms. Sherine Kuo; tel. (886)932-994-328; e-mail: sherinekuo@yahoo.com.tw. Sherine can hook interested parties into Taiwan’s leading international hospitals, such as Min Sheng and E-da.
About the author
As president of Healthy Travel Media, Josef Woodman has spent more than three years touring 100 medical facilities in 14 countries, researching contemporary medical tourism. He is the author of the book Patients Beyond Borders—a comprehensive guide to medical tourism. This book is well-researched, written in plain English, and offers an impartial look at contemporary medical travel, while helping prospective patients ask the right questions and make informed choices. For more information, see: www.patientsbeyondborders.com.