Will you have to get your next surgery in another country?

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

As many Americans struggle to pay for health care or health insurance, hospitals in Mexico are expanding in hopes of attracting more patients from north of the border — in addition, a rapidly growing industry is marketing "medical tourism" to Americans.

Hospitals in Tijuana — just a half-hour's drive from San Diego — can do many medical procedures for half or one-third the cost in the U.S.
....

The medical tourism industry has been around for a while. Costa Rica has marketed its hospitals to foreigners for years. Even Cuba has a bustling business selling health care procedures to Canadians and Europeans.

But these arrangements have generally involved a single person paying for a single procedure abroad. Now, there's a movement to offer cut-rate health plans that provide traditional health care, but some big-ticket benefits may only be offered outside the country. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina last year set up an affiliate to offer benefits abroad.

Mexican Hospitals Aim To Attract More Americans : NPR

[disneysteve]

I also read an article recently about domestic medical tourism, traveling to a different part of the US for treatment. Prices can vary dramatically from place to place. An operation in small town America might cost $10,000 when the exact same surgery in a major metropolitan area is over $20,000.

[Aleta]

While my husband was in So American, he had some dental work done for a fraction of the cost he would have paid here. He said many people travel to these places for even such things as cosmetic surgery, catarac surgery, etc.

[cptacek]

DS, I read the same thing. I think Wichita and Oklahoma City are catering to this kind of "medical tourism". Personally, I would trust the doctors there more than one in Tijuana.

[MonkeyMama]

Reminds me, we went to MExico last year and they were pushing prescription meds very heavily along with churros and souvenirs. They always had people in lab coats trying to sell you drugs. Definitely a sign of the times.

[disneysteve]

Actually, MonkeyMama, that's been going on for years. Meds are much cheaper in Mexico than in the US and most are over the counter, no prescription needed. That's true in Canada as well, though to a lesser extent.

Lots of Americans travel to Mexico and Canada to buy their meds.

[vole]

A few years ago the NY Times had an article about England offering heart surgery to Americans that included tours and theater tickets for the spouse what the patient was in the hospital. And the cost was about 1/2 the price of the US.

I think Thailand offers lots of discount surgery especially cosmetic work.

All the doctors were trained in the US. But who is monitoring the quality of the hospitals and the quality of the care? The drawback is there is no legal recourse for malpractice.

-Dave