To Go or Not to Go
By: Source: Bulletin Date Posted:
Pluses
- Lower prices for medical and dental care.
- State-of-the-art hospitals.
- Western-trained physicians and dentists who speak English.
- Faster access to doctors than in the United States.
- Vacation opportunities and post-care rest at relatively low cost.
Minuses
- Pre-trip anxieties. (Will the staff speak English? Am I well enough to travel? Will I be safe?)
- Lack of follow-up care by your surgeon, should complications occur after you return home.
- Limited or no legal recourse in case of negligence.
- Feelings of loneliness or strangeness if making the trip alone.
- Risk of poor treatment by underqualified practitioners or in substandard facilities.
Comparing Costs
Prices at Bangkok's Bumrungrad hospital vs. average costs at private hospitals in the United States*
- Prostate surgery: $5,000-$7,000 versus $35,000-$40,000
- Comprehensive check-up: $400 versus $2,000
- Spinal surgery: $6,000-$8,000 versus $50,000-$70,000
- Open-heart bypass surgery: $10,000 versus $60,000-$80,000
- Root canal: $320 versus $900-$1,000
- Hip replacement: $9,000 versus $40,000-$50,000
- Private hospital room per day: $150 versus up to $1,000
- Airfares: Under $1,000 to more than $3,000 round-trip economy class from the United States to Bangkok
*Provided by Bumrungrad International; southeastern U.S. average
Additional Related Links:
Outsourcing Medical Care—A Better Deal for Business?
'The Hip is So Much Better, I Forgot About it'
Joint Commission International evaluates and accredits health care facilities abroad.
Joint Commission International Center for Patient Safety
Medex Global Group Inc. offers emergency travel help and international medical insurance.
Health travel agencies that plan trips combining medical care and vacations:
BOOK: Patients Beyond Borders: Everybody's Guide to Affordable, World-Class Medical Tourism, by Josef Woodman, tells how to plan and budget for medical care abroad and how to find the best doctors and hospitals (Healthy Travel Media, 2007).
preview